ESA e-course for Mental Health Professionals | Stone Counseling & Consulting Services

$320 or 4 monthly payments of $90

From "Oh No!" to "Yes, I Can!": Responding to and Evaluating Emotional Support Animal Requests

Course
54 Lessons

This e-course covers the Emotional Support Animal-related information you need to know to become ESA-informed, develop an ESA policy and procedure, and transform your practice to go from referring out clientele (and losing income) to attracting new clientele (and boosting your income).

Enroll Now

Prepare Yourself and Your Practice to Confidently and Ethically Respond to Emotional Support Animal Requests

If you've received (or anticipate receiving) Emotional Support Animal (ESA) letter requests from clients, it's time to get prepared! Access this exclusive e-Course to improve your competence and confidence, and prepare your practice, so you can better serve your clients and attract new clientele (and income) who are seeking ESA letters!

This course is for:
Mental Health Professionals who are ready
to go from
feeling confused and uneasy about Emotional Support Animal letters and stressed over the loss of income due to referring out clients who request ESA letters
to
feeling competent and confident with Emotional Support Animal-related knowledge, and excited about attracting new clientele who are seeking ESA letters (all while preparing your practice along the way).

This course is for you if...

You've referred out clients who requested an ESA letter (and you lost income), or
You've hesitantly written an ESA letter and hoped you covered your bases (and lost sleep over it wondering if you've put yourself, your license, your practice, or your clients at-risk), or
You've written an ESA letter and you believe you relatively covered your bases but you want to learn more or better prepare your practice with solid, ethical policies and ESA letter template development (or you want to feel validated in the work you've done).
You're ready to put in a little "elbow grease" (with guidance and personalized coaching) to identify and customize the aspects of ESA services that you can apply to your own practice.

Your Trainer Gets it!

Hi, I'm Rebecca Stone, LMHC!
Like most mental health professionals, I started receiving requests from clients to write Emotional Support Animal letters years ago. Not knowing what this was or how to legally and ethically address these clients' requests, I took it upon myself to do the research. At a university I worked for, key stakeholders and I came together to explore all different aspects of ESAs and I helped develop the university's ESA policy. With my knowledge and experience, I have since presented about ESAs at a national counseling conference, developed a specialty in ESAs in my private practice, and, for the last few years, I've been helping mental health providers like you learn about ESAs and prepare their practices to ethically handle ESA requests!

The idea of Emotional Support Animals continues to be an emerging topic in our field and there is not a whole lot of guidance around this. I'm excited to help you increase your knowledge, competence, and confidence around Emotional Support Animals, and help you prepare your practice to support clients with ESA requests.

I understand where you're at...

Many mental health providers say:

"Emotional Support Animal assessments/letters are outside my scope of practice."
"I'm not equipped to determine 'disability.'"
"It's unethical to assess clients for whom I'm providing therapy."

Mental health providers often feel:

Lost or confused about where to start,
Uncertain of their competence or confidence about Emotional Support Animal-related information or practices,
Worried about legal, ethical, and liability-related issues, and
Uncomfortable due to Emotional Support Animal-related news stories and misinformation, as well as concern for abuse of privileges.

The truth is...

Individuals with disabilities have a legal right to request an Emotional Support Animal as a "reasonable accommodation." According to the law, doctors and mental health professionals are the providers who can conduct the ESA assessments and provide ESA letters. I assure you, this can be done in a competent and ethical way.

Emotional Support Animal letter requests have become more and more popular. You can only avoid ESA requests or refer out for so long!

Now is the time to prepare yourself and your practice to confidently and ethically respond to ESA letter requests!

How This Course Works for YOU

By enrolling in this course today, you'll get instant access to valuable Emotional Support Animal information. This unique course is the absolute best way I know to give you the start-to-finish information you need to better address client requests for Emotional Support Animal letters. No matter what your level of comfort, knowledge, or experience is, this course will provide you with beneficial information you can apply in your practice to transform the way you respond to or handle ESA requests.

Get In-the-Know About Emotional Support Animals

The topic of Emotional Support Animals continues to be an emerging and hot topic in the mental health field. With little guidance out there, this course will help you feel fully prepared to handle Emotional Support Animal requests in your practice.

Improve Your Competence and Confidence

Our professional ethics encourage us to improve our competence and confidence before engaging in specific services or referring clients out to other providers. With the information you'll learn in this course, you'll do just that!

Prepare Your Practice to Move from Referring Out to Attracting New Clientele

If you wish to incorporate Emotional Support Animal assessments and letters into your menu of services, the coaching aspect of this course will help you identify all the necessary pieces to develop your policy and your ESA letter template so you can stop referring out clients (and losing money) and begin having clients seek you out for ESA services (and boost your income).

A Unique Opportunity

This course combines e-course style learning modules and personalized coaching!

The first half of the course:
- lays out all the information you need to know about Emotional Support Animals that applies to all disciplines of mental heath practice.
The second half provides you with:
- worksheets to guide you through the necessary aspects you need to identify and consider, such as personal bias, professional code of ethics, licensure and state laws, liability considerations, as well as
- worksheets to help you create your very own ESA policy/procedure and your practice's ESA letter template!

What You'll Get

Access to eight (8) online modules which each contain multiple lessons (informational and homework/worksheet-based) covering all the aspects you need to know/consider related to Emotional Support Animals and how to integrate ESA assessments and letters into your service offerings,
Personalized feedback on your ESA Letter Template,
Access to comment within the course or directly send a message to the course creator, and
Bonuses along the way!

What can you expect to learn or do as a result of this course?

The course's learning outcomes relate to the knowledge that you can expect to achieve and demonstrate by the end of this course. Course completers will be able to:

Identify the functional differences between Service Animals, Therapy Animals, Emotional Support Animals, and Pets,
Indicate which federal laws apply to Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals,
Recall the applicable rights and requirements related to Emotional Support Animal accommodations,
Give examples as to what Emotional Support Animals do and how they can help,
Analyze your specific professional licensing laws and code(s) of ethics as it relates to the provision of Emotional Support Animal services,
Synthesize and develop practice-related policies and procedures related to the provision or Emotional Support Animal services,
Create a plan to evaluate or assess for Emotional Support Animal requests, and
Develop your own Emotional Support Animal letter template.

Now that you know what you'll expect to gain from this course, let's get started!

Don't miss out!

Now is the time to get in-the-know about and prepare your practice to handle Emotional Support Animal requests!

Enroll Now

Check out what course participants are saying!

Course Completers Agree

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lexi A., LSWAIC in WA

"This is one of the most comprehensive, intuitive, and user friendly trainings I've ever taken. Every part of the training felt relevant to the task of ethically providing this service and my time and money has been well spent. I wish more trainings were this useful!"

Denise H., LPCC-S in KY

"This workshop was very thorough and provided ample substance and research to provide a clear path for clinicians to complete Emotional Support Animal letters. Rebecca nicely combined video, reading, and self-study options to keep me engaged in the process. I feel 100% ready to accept ESA requests!"

Nicole T., PsyD, Licensed Psychologist in MI

"I can't believe how great this course was! Worth every dollar-seriously. The course was extremely comprehensive, Rebecca gave thoughtful feedback to all of my work, and I left not only with a great understanding of how to conduct the evaluation and how to write the letter, but with awesome and useful materials (and supplementary readings) to use in my practice. If you're questioning if you should sign up- do it!"

Sherrie R., AMFT in CA

"I went into this course with mixed information from other mental health providers but came out of it with what feels like a clear understanding of federal and state laws surrounding ESAs as well as a list of which organizations I need to consult to inform my policies and letters. I would highly recommend this course to any mental health professional who has been in conversations about ESAs. Even if you choose not to add these services this course will help you to be informed."

Julie R., LPC in PA

"GREAT course!! Very thoroughly covers general ESA information, ethical considerations, professional liability, etc. All that you need to know before conducting these assessments. I feel comfortable with the knowledge I can provide to clients and with my assessment process. I was able to develop my own policy/procedures for providing ESA assessments that work with my specific practice and style. Rebecca is also very responsive to questions throughout the course and assists with addition questions. Highly recommend!!"

Lauren JG, LCSW in AZ

"This course was so dense and comprehensive that it took me almost a year to complete because I work full time, but - it also gave me that time with unlimited access and no pressure. It provided such rich information and made me consider things I never would have thought about when providing this service. It has changed my entire outlook on ESA letters and gave me so many more things to think about besides "do animals make the client feel better?" I feel prepared and so well educated on this subject now and recommend this course to anyone who wants to be compliant and competent when providing ESA letters. Thank you for providing such an amazing and highly informative course and for all the extra handouts and worksheets. I have so much to consider now. Loved this course!"

Jason R., LPC in MI

"I really enjoyed this course. It got me thinking about issues that I had not considered, and made me realize there are many more things to writing ESA letters than appear on the surface. It's not just a matter of having a diagnosis and saying an animal helps... this course helped me to see the important things a practitioner needs to think about, and do to provide ethical services and to protect themselves and their clients. I also loved all the feedback I got throughout the process!"

Colette L., PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist in CA

"I was nervous about taking on this need in my practice but felt this is a need that I would like to serve in my community. This course really helped me think things through and reduced my worry."

Veronika N., LMFT in CA

[Though this course does not offer CEs and] "though I’m not technically done with the work in this course, this course has been better than many of the CEU’s [courses] I have taken!"

Upon completion, Veronika also said "Great course on ESA! Definitely answers all questions and will allow you to confidently provide ESA letters in your practice."

Natalie B., LPC in VA

"Thank you so much for all of your very helpful feedback and for your quick turnaround on [ESA Template Letter draft]. [...] I love that you give personalized feedback. It makes your course all the more valuable."

Melissa W., LPCC-S in OH

"The detailed lessons and ongoing feedback throughout the course truly prepare you to incorporate these skills into your practice confidently."

Kim L., LSCSW in KS

After only the second module, Kim L. already stated, "I'm enjoying this information and definitely feeling more confident about what I am learning."

Brianna S., LPCC in OH

"Rebecca's course really helped me feel more confident and prepared for the not-so-well-known field of ESAs and letter writing! Highly recommend!"

Katie M., LPC in PA

"We got our first request for an ESA letter today [just a few days after completing the course].

So thankful for your course to know exactly how to navigate the entire process ethically. 🙌🙌🙌 Have our policies in place thanks to you!!"

Jennifer B., LCSW in SC

Upon completing the module where she reviewed ethical principles relating to ESA work, Jennifer noted, "This was challenging but so useful. I have seen a lot of the "instant ESA letter" websites and I have wondered if these practices are ethical."

Judith L., LCSW in CT & NY

"This training was invaluable. I quickly realized how much I did not know about important aspects of the process. There are critical steps that can easily be overlooked/skipped during an assessment. After completing this training I can say that I feel more confident and good about the assessments I will be providing for ESA clients."

Lindsay G., LMHC in FL

"Fabulous! I learned so much and feel confident to offer ESA services after taking this course. Rebecca is an amazing trainer and presents the information in an accessible manner. She also is prompt and thorough in giving feedback."

Amanda P., LCSW in FL, AL & MI

"This e course was a great debrief on everything we should know and include in our practice policy on writing ESA letters - both for the protection of the client and us as practice owners. I’m so happy to have this as part of my layers of support and accountability in this practice."

Landon L. LGSW in WV

"The content in this course was informative and beneficial to our group practice. I feel better prepared to implement ESA-related policies within our organization and equip clients with additional methods to improve their mental health."

Martha A., LMFT in CA & WA

"Rebecca's course was easy to follow and her feedback shows a thorough knowledge of writing ESA letters."

Megan S., LMHC in FL

"This was a fantastic training! I learned so much and would highly recommend it. You walk away fully equipped to get started!"

You can be the next highly satisfied course participant!

Enroll Now

Have Questions? Here are some FAQs...

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.

Is this strictly a passive-learning style course?

No, not entirely. The first half of the course is more of a passive style of learning with educational-based lessons. The information presented in that portion of the course provides the information that applies at a federal level and guides everyone's work.

There is active-style learning required for the second half of the course which is where most of the personalized coaching comes into play. The mental health field has several disciplines, each governed by their respective licensing states, and falling under different professional codes of ethics. Furthermore, each practice has its own service/policy and liability considerations. Since there's no way I can possibly cover all the possible combinations of discipline, licensure laws, professional ethics, etc. for everyone who takes this course, you will be putting in some "elbow grease" to locate, research, and/or process information specific to you. All of this will be a guided process through homework-style worksheets and personalized feedback. Arguably, this could be considered the most valuable portion of the course since this helps you customize everything for your specific practice!

How is the course delivered and what is the time commitment?

This an online e-course that you can access 24/7 so you can fit it into your busy schedule. The course is composed of eight (8) modules which all become available to you upon enrollment. You are encouraged to begin right away as there is a lot of information to learn and consider. Starting sooner rather than later will help you have enough time to complete the course while minimizing information overload, allowing time for you to process the content you're receiving, and/or completing any necessary research and worksheets before moving on to the next lesson.

Why would I want to offer Emotional Support Animal letters? Can’t clients just get them online or ask their doctor?

It's true that there are many websites out there that claim to offer ESA "registry" or "certificate" services; however, these sites are not legitimate ways to obtain an ESA letter of prescription. Many housing providers and airlines are wising up to this and are declining letters which are generated by those sites.

Additionally, many doctors are not informed about ESAs or are not treating clients/patients specifically for mental health concerns and, therefore, will not issue ESA letters.

Becoming informed about the ESA assessment and letter process will help you help clients who are seeking ESA letters, and honor the true intent of ESA letters.

I’ve already written Emotional Support Animal letters for clients. How can this course benefit me?

Many mental health professionals have been writing ESA letters, but they might have been doing so without the appropriate knowledge, training or experience, and/or are not certain if they are covering their bases when writing the letters. They many not have thought of the many ESA-related factors which could affect their license, their practice, and their clients. This course will help walk you through the ins and outs of ESAs so you can feel more prepared to handle clients' requests for ESA letters (or feel validated in what you've done thus far) and develop a solid ESA policy for your practice.

I’m working for a group practice or an organization, why would I want to take a course that covers ESA policy development?

Regardless of whether you work for an agency, organization, group practice, or private practice, it never hurts to learn more to support your professional competence and confidence. Exploring topics related to ESA policy development can aid those who set their own policies and/or who have the ability to influence policies in the organization in which they practice.

Will a sample ESA letter or template be provided in the course?

An ESA Letter Template will not be provided because I don’t want course completers to fall into the habit of simply regurgitating a template letter with “insert name here.” Providing a full-blown template could lead to all letters (of e-course completers) sounding alike which housing providers and airlines are leery of given all the “registry” and “certificate” sites out there.

What is 100% covered in the course, however, is information about what must be included in the letter, as well as some sample statements and guidance for creating your very own ESA Letter Template. You'll receive guidance and feedback on your draft letter template, and this will ensure that your ESA Letter Template is unique, sounds like you, and is crafted to suit you and your practice.

How long will I have access to the course and its content?

You have 24/7 access to this course for as long as the course is available and offered.* Please be advised that it is the responsibility of the participant (you) to proceed with successful completion of the course. If a participant does not complete the course or only completes portions of the course, a certificate of completion will not be issued and no refunds will be available.

*If an individual is on a payment plan and does not fulfill paid-in-full payment obligations, their access to the course will be removed until full payments have been satisfied.

Are CEs offered for this e-Course?

Not at this time. I know that mental health professionals are currently in need of ESA training, so I've made this course available now!

If CEs are offered in the future, course completers will be welcomed to re-take the assessments in the course and obtain CEs with a reasonable upcharge.

How do I sign up?

It's easy! Click the sign up link. After enrolling, you'll gain instant access to the course!

Still not sure?

Here's what you DON'T want to do...

Wait for that first ESA request to come in before doing something,
Write an ESA letter for a client without fully knowing what you're doing,
Use someone else's materials which may not be appropriate for you or a generic/borrowed ESA letter,
Risk not having a solid ESA policy in-place which could have a negative impact your clients, you, or your practice, or
Refer out and lose clientele or income.

Here's what you DO want to do...

Learn the laws relating to ESAs,
Explore ethical issues and state laws pertaining to ESAs and your discipline of mental health practice,
Increase your competence and confidence when it comes to ESAs,
Prepare your practice by developing your very own ESA policy and letter template, and
Provide yourself the opportunity to learn something new, to transform you practice, and to attract new clientele (and boost your income) with the addition of ESA assessment services.

Take stock in yourself, your practice, and your clients! Prepare yourself and your practice to handle ESA requests.

Let's get started!

Don't wait for that first ESA request to come in! Start today! Upon enrollment, you'll gain instant access to the course.

Enroll Now