This applies to e-mail based counseling as well as real time interactions, such as in a chat room. Individuals that seek help on the internet often do so because they have problems and life circumstances that, in their perception, do not allow them to access help within their own communities. There are even those who believe that trust is not an issue in cyberspace because of the anonymity aspect. I believe a different dimension of trust to be very important regarding online counseling. By the nature of the media, the internet does offer options to those who would not seek help in the usual manner because of generalized trust issues.
Real life risking and trusting is much more complex, due to social considerations.
The process of searching for and connecting with the right therapist often involves wandering through a maze of networks, home pages, and mailing lists. But it is a question that needs at least to be examined. In some respects, the psychodynamics of therapeutic interaction have been enhanced by the realm of cyberspace. E-mail counseling allows both the therapist and the client to process actual communication more clearly, because there seems to be a relaxing of defense mechanisms within this medium. But it has been used with some success, particularly as an adjunct to e-mail dialog, when immediate feedback was felt to be advisable.