I'm a Licensed Therapist - Here's the Truth about ESA Letter Services
I have been a licensed psychotherapist since 2011. I have focused my practice on trauma therapy and human-animal bonding. Having received a certificate in Human-Animal bonding from AMVA in 2019.
I sought out companies that have the same vision and mission to promote human-animal bonding and overall health and wellness of others.
As a clinician I worked for multiple ESA providers and now I want to share an insider’s perspective of what really goes on “behind the scenes” to help you find the best option for you and you pet. So let’s talk about something everyone wants to know: What is the Best Emotional Support Animal Service service?
The Key Takeaway
Pettable delivered the highest quality experience, the fairest cost for valued service, and … wait for it… a real Clinician to help every step of the way.
Legitimacy: They Only Hire Vetted Licensed Therapists
As a provider, I had the most difficult time getting hired by Pettable, as compared to the other providers I have worked for in the past. I say this with appreciation! Pettable does not “just refer” a Clinician to you and then “walk out of your life.”
Pettable ensures that each Clinician has valuable experience in the field and has successfully conducted these types of assessments in the past. A therapist cannot just easily walk in and start work.
Pettable providers work with the company to ensure they have the proper training, go through steps to ensure a provider’s license is clear and active, and allow for a central repository so client privacy is protected to a HIPAA compliant standard.
Live Support: Talk to a Real Human
Pettable provides a streamlined referral process to a real provider, who is vetted and reviewed, and a concierge service that other ESA providers simply lack.
There is a real person behind the referral when you push the ‘Buy’ button. That real person triages your needs with care and consciousness. I would rather pay an extra few dollars to get the piece of mind that Pettable will be with me along the way than pay a provider whom I don’t know will do right by me and my mental health needs.
Pettable also offers a 24 hour chat option. What!? Did you hear that? Pettable offers a 24 hour chat option! The chat option is for support and not for upselling you something you may not need.
Insider’s Guide: How I Evaluated Each ESA Letter Provider
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| Ensure Clinician Ethical Behavior (i.e. audit credentials to ensure clear/active license) |  |
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| Electronic Health Record System | |
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| HIPAA Privacy Measures in Place | |
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| Live Chat with a Real Person | |
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| Referral Time | 9 minutes | 27 hours | 23 hours |
| Transparency: Run by Real People Who Show Their Faces | |
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| Psychiatric Service Dog Option | |
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| Avoids Unnecessary “Registration” Scheme | |
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| Unique Letter for Written for Each Customer (vs. Mass Produced Generic Copy) | |
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| Cost | $149 | $139 | $99 |
Avoid Scams: There Are No “Registration” Databases
There is no official database for legitimate service dogs nor are service dog handlers required to obtain or require any sort of certification. Don’t let the other providers tell you differently!
Pettable lets you know up front that the “registration” piece to having an Emotional Support Animal is not the sticking piece to having your ESA with you – it is actually having a qualified therapist work with you and define a need for the emotional support animal.
I have seen too many folks get taken advantage of and heard too many of those folks come to me and say, “But Company X told me I had to register…Did I just lose my money?”
Unique vs Generic: Impersonal Auto-Generated Letters
Other online agencies represent authenticity but populate auto-generated letters to you after their assessment. This is neither fair to the client nor the process.
Pettable provides a pre-screening tool to set you up for success and determine what you may need to speak to your connected therapist about. You are able to essentially get connected to “your” therapist and you can actually call them “your treating provider.”
With Pettable your letter is not pre-populated and if you are denied, you get a 100% refund. (*PS – Another insider secret, there is not a wait time on your refund if you need one. The Clinician works in real time to process your needs and communicate in haste to Pettable!)
One of the most innovative and important benefits of using Pettable for an ESA letter is the fact that they have humanized the experience and pay attention to how important our ESAs are to mental health treatment.
Pettable offers a scholarship option for pet lovers, a military study debt grant, and a debt forgiveness scholarship. Pettable not only promotes the message, but lives and breathes the message into existence to help others.
The ball is not dropped after the assessment. The Clinician stays in clear contact and remains available for you.
For example, if you have a question about how to submit a form to your landlord or anything regarding continued care, you are not rushed. You get follow up emails to speak about your experience and provide valuable feedback. Ask me if the other ESA companies do that? (*The answer is No).
Seeing Both Sides: My Journey as a Customer
Not only am I a clinician, I’ve also been a customer. In 2018 my mother asked me to help her find a therapist in our local area to assist her in managing the grief over losing a loved one. She ended up with a 3 pound Yorkie dog that helped allow her to feel compassion, refocus, and create a better routine.
I came to Pettable when my Mother needed her ESA re-assessed, and it took me 9 minutes to get connected to a provider in my area.
Pettable has an option to hit the “Express” button, but I did not. Despite this, I still only waited 9 MINUTES for the referral. Express without the express cost!
When you go through another provider, be prepared to apply, get a referral email… and wait to wonder what the next steps may be.
Pettable will link you with a provider that is local and direct information on how to schedule with the counselor on your own time, within your own schedule, and what works best for your routine.
When you go through Pettable, you are directly referred to and linked with a provider that is not only knowledgeable and compassionate, but also one that works with your availability.
When contacted by the other agencies, you may (9 times out of 10) get told that a Provider will contact you at some time and you are left wondering what the process looks like. Pettable takes the guesswork out of what is already considered an anxious process for someone who may not have previously opened-up to anyone about their mental health struggles.
Why I Stick With Pettable
My ESA journey to find the “right” ESA company began elsewhere but ended with Pettable. I will only be choosing to work with Pettable versus other companies. Pettable not only provides a valued and trusted mental health service that individuals need to pair their needs with their emotional support animal, but also takes it 10-steps further and provides the continued quality of care that individuals need.
Pettable delivered the highest quality experience, the fairest cost for valued service, and … wait for it… a real Clinician to help every step of the way.
When you work with Pettable, your therapist will follow you through the next year, providing any support that you may need. I want a meaningful connection, a legitimate assessment by an ethical and licensed provider, and a tailored approach to my ESA needs. Pettable has proven to value connection and legitimacy and shows this openly in their practice of health and wellness for others.