BMJ 2001;322:1509 ( 23 June )

News roundup

Beware online therapy, counselling association warns

Zosia Kmietowicz London

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 Stephen Goss, research development officer at the association and honorary research fellow at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

He continued: "However, it is important that we don’t rush headlong into doing something just because we can. People should always ask whether their therapist is properly qualified and recognised as such by a reputable professional body, like the British Association for Counselling . . . [Full text of this article]


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Rapid Responses:

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Peter Brooks
bmj.com, 22 Jun 2001 [Full text]
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