Well, I'm not Jeff, but I think he was referring to a setup like that
used by MIT's "Nightline" telephone counselling system (not to be
confused with the ABC TV program of the same name).
The social worker doesn't want the clients to remain anonymous,
since he/she has to either charge them (in the case of private
treatment) or justify to his/her superiors that he/she has a
suitable caseload (in the case of governmentally funded treatment)
and not just a bunch of anonymous email which he/she could have
easily generated.
This doesn't apply in this case, as Nightline's counsellors are
anonymous student volunteers, pledged to maintain the anonymity of the
folks they help out.
- Bill