Terms of Service

ESA Letter Online is a technology platform that connects individuals with independently licensed mental health professionals. The platform does not provide medical or mental health services. All clinical evaluations, determinations, and documentation are provided solely by the independently licensed clinician. ESA Letter Online does not supervise, direct, or control the clinical judgment of any clinician using the platform and is not responsible for the clinical services provided.

ESA Letter Online is the consumer-facing technology platform that provides all administrative, technology, and payment services. Licensed clinicians who perform evaluations contract directly with ESA Letter Online as independent professionals.

Counseling Now® (a DBA of Kentucky Counseling Center LLC) is a licensed clinical practice whose name and credentials appear on ESA letters issued through the platform. Counseling Now® serves as the clinical brand under which letters are issued, providing verifiable practice credentials and letterhead. Counseling Now® does not employ, supervise, or direct the clinicians who perform evaluations — each clinician operates independently under their own license and professional judgment.

Housing providers or third-party verification services who wish to confirm a letter's authenticity may contact verify@counselingnow.com.

By accessing or using ESA Letter Online, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree to these terms, you may not use our services. You must be at least 18 years old to use this platform.

Use of the ESA Letter Online platform does not create a therapist–client relationship with ESA Letter Online, GF Investment Group LLC, Kentucky Counseling Center LLC, or their operators. Any therapeutic relationship exists solely between the client and the independently licensed clinician who conducts the evaluation.

Clinicians on the platform operate as independent licensed professionals who contract directly with ESA Letter Online. They retain full authority over all clinical decisions, including whether to approve, deny, or request additional information regarding an ESA evaluation. Neither ESA Letter Online nor Counseling Now® employs, supervises, or controls the clinical decision-making of any clinician. Clinicians are expected to use independent professional judgment in every case and deny requests that are not clinically supported.

Submission of an intake form or payment does not guarantee approval of an Emotional Support Animal letter. All determinations are made solely by the evaluating clinician based on their professional judgment. Neither ESA Letter Online nor Counseling Now® guarantees any particular outcome.

ESA evaluations conducted through the platform are limited clinical consultations assessing whether an individual's reported symptoms and functional impairment are consistent with a disability-related need for housing accommodation under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604). These consultations do not establish an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Clients who may benefit from ongoing mental health care are encouraged to seek continued treatment with a local provider.

ESA letters issued through this platform are provided solely for housing accommodation purposes and do not grant public access rights. ESA letters are not equivalent to service animal documentation and do not provide rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

ESA Letter Online provides administrative, technology, and referral services to independently licensed clinicians. The platform facilitates the evaluation process but does not provide clinical care. Services provided by the platform include:

• Structured intake collection and secure data transmission
• Technology tools enabling telehealth evaluations conducted by licensed clinicians
• Letter generation, secure storage, and delivery of documentation
• Payment processing and administrative support

ESA Letter Online handles Protected Health Information (PHI) in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and operates as a HIPAA-compliant Business Associate. Your health information is encrypted in transit and at rest and shared only with the clinician assigned to your evaluation.

The current fee for an ESA evaluation is $129.00 USD for most states, or $179.00 USD for states that require a live telehealth consultation (AR, CA, FL, IA, LA, MT). Payment is collected via Stripe before your evaluation is assigned to a clinician. By submitting payment, you authorize this charge. All fees are displayed clearly before checkout.

Please refer to our Refund Policy for complete details on eligibility and processing. In general, if a clinician determines you do not qualify for an ESA letter, a full refund will be issued.

Issuance of an ESA letter does not guarantee that a housing provider will grant an accommodation request. Housing providers retain authority to review and evaluate documentation under applicable fair housing laws. Neither ESA Letter Online nor Counseling Now® guarantees that any ESA letter issued will be accepted by any landlord, housing provider, airline, employer, or other third party. The Fair Housing Act and other laws govern how these letters must be treated, but enforcement is outside our control.

• You agree to provide accurate and truthful information in your evaluation
• You agree not to misuse or fraudulently use any ESA documentation
• You agree not to share your account credentials with others
• You are responsible for your own compliance with applicable laws

All content on this platform — including text, design, logos, and software — is owned by ESA Letter Online or licensed to us. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our written consent.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ESA Letter Online shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the services. The maximum liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid for the service giving rise to the claim.

Any disputes arising from or relating to your use of the ESA Letter Online platform or these Terms of Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, rather than in court. By using this platform, you agree to waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against ESA Letter Online, GF Investment Group LLC, or Kentucky Counseling Center LLC.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

We reserve the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance. We will notify users of material changes via email.

For questions about these terms, please visit our contact page.