Is this normal? (Counselling related)

[WheelieMe]

I’m going to be paying privately for some counselling (via skype) with someone. I have specific reasons why going via IAPT/GP counsellor wouldn’t work and can’t find anyone who does it locally with experience of counselling people in my circumstances.
Is it normal to be asked to provide details of your next of kin when seeing a counsellor? I was a bit surprised and I’m not sure how I feel.

Also, is there anyone else who just really find completing a depression questionnaire soul destroying?

I've always had to provide a next of kin - I think it's a safeguarding thing so that they have someone to contact in the unlikely event that they have to breach confidentiality.

It’s quite normal to ask this, often as an ‘in case of emergency’ if you were unwell for example. The depression questionnaires can be a bit grim, I agree. The wording of the questions is quite blunt for one thing. It can be helpful seeing how your ‘scores’ improve over time though.