Research highlights the legal issues of certifying emotional support animals

Service animals are recognized by the ADA as those whose training helps them serve a specific disability-related function. However, people not necessarily exhibiting a mental or physical disability are eluding the system by asking their mental health professionals to certify ’emotional support animals’. Researchers are exploring the effects these requests are having on the mental health profession and recommend that psychologists refrain from issuing certifications to avoid legal risks.