Emotional Support Animal | North Carolina

Our therapists at Coast To Coast Bilingual Counseling are trained to evaluate and assess the individual for an ESA. 

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a pet that provides comfort and support to individuals with mental health conditions or emotional disabilities. Unlike service animals, which are trained to perform specific tasks to assist with physical disabilities, ESAs do not require specialized training. Their primary role is to offer emotional support and companionship.

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

Here’s how ESAs typically function:

  1. Emotional Support: ESAs can help alleviate symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Their presence alone can provide comfort, reduce stress, and improve emotional well-being.

  2. Housing and Travel: Under laws such as the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), individuals with ESAs have certain rights. For example, they may be allowed to live with their ESA in housing where pets are typically not allowed, and they might have specific rights related to travel with their ESA.

  3. No Specialized Training: Unlike service animals, ESAs do not have to be trained to perform specific tasks. Their primary role is to provide emotional comfort through their companionship.

  4. Documentation: To be recognized as an ESA, individuals often need a letter from a licensed mental health professional confirming that they have a mental health condition and that the animal provides therapeutic benefit. 

It’s important to note that while ESAs have some legal protections, they are not granted the same access rights as service animals in public places like restaurants and stores.

Let’s Talk Insurance

Coast to Coast Bilingual Counseling is in-network at the following insurance plans:

Alliance Medicaid

Trillium Medicaid

Healthy Blue Medicaid

United Health Care Medicaid

North Carolina Medicare

Tricare4Life (Medicare)

Tricare East

CHAMPVA

Blue Cross Blue Shield (all plans including Anthem)

United Health Care Commercial

Cigna (Evernorth)

Beacon

Aetna

Medcost

Specializing in Multicultural and
Bilingual Therapy Services

Multicultural therapy, also known as multicultural counseling or cross-cultural therapy, is an approach to psychotherapy that recognizes and incorporates the cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds of patients into the therapeutic process. The aim is to provide more effective and respectful treatment by considering how cultural factors influence mental health and therapy outcomes.

Coast to Coast Bilingual Counseling specializes in Multicultural and Bilingual counseling. We have Spanish-speaking, Black, Hispanic, and Biracial therapists available to help meet your unique cultural background.

Virtual Therapy is available to clients throughout North Carolina.

We use a HIPAA-compliant video software in our virtual therapy sessions.