Emotional Support Animals

Spoken Balance embraces and supports the need for individuals to have an emotional support animal. To be clear, the difference between an emotional support animal and other service animals are described below. However, there are pronounced benefits to acquiring and caring for a pet.

Some of the reasons why Emotional Support Animals are crucial to mental wellness include:

• Stabilization (including mental health concerns and physical health concerns) 

• Financial relief (including the burden of apartment deposits) 

• Reduction in isolation and anxiety (including a pup’s demand to go for walks) 

• Stress management (it is pretty well documented that petting animals reduces stress)

Spoken Balance historically has followed the strictest laws in the nation with all our practices and orientation to services. As such, Spoken Balance follows these guidelines when writing Emotional Support Animals Letters:

• Be licensed where the client is located 

• Provide their license information, including number and issue date, in the letter 

• Have a clinical relationship with the individual for at least 30 days before issuing the letter

• No less than 4 appointments in those 30 days

• Complete a clinical evaluation of the individual regarding the need for an ESA

• Assessment does not guarantee a letter

• Provide notice to the individual that misrepresenting the animal as a service animal is a crime

Additionally

• Spoken Balance requires releases of information on file to landlord/management company for Emotional Support Animal letters

• Spoken Balance only recommends the need for an emotional support animal, not for a specific animal or breed.

• Spoken Balance will not write support for the behavior or training of the animal, only the human emotional need for the animal.

• At this time, Spoken Balance is limiting letter writing to:

• One domestic dog OR one domestic cat per household

• One letter per adult

• Permanent housing needs only

• No travel, temporary housing, college housing or vacation needs

Spoken Balance works hard to provide the psychoeducation to each client that is necessary for a successful emotional support animal experience. Spoken Balance only writes emotional support animals letters and will not encourage or facilitate a conversation that directly or indirectly breaks any local, state, regional, or federal law that would permit an emotional support animal beyond the description below.

• Emotional Support Animal legislation in Illinois can be found here.

• The difference between service dogs and emotional support dogs