People using the internet to access a therapist are being warned to take precautions to protect themselves against fraudulent practitioners.

Guidelines from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy this month recommend that anyone considering internet counselling should ensure that the therapist is suitably trained and supervised and that they understand the contract they are agreeing to and the limitations of the service they are receiving.

“Online therapy has enormous potential, and this is an exciting new area,” said one of the report's authors, Dr …