Just my perspective having a mental illness, and having been going through some form of mental health therapy with medication for the last ten years solid now, I'd say I've crossed paths with one shitty and inept psychologist in that time. She wanted to discuss my feels about the past way too fucking much, whereas all my others have just wanted to discuss the exact things where I encounter trouble in the present, and then discuss how I can recognize my own behaviors in those circumstances, and what I can choose to do and control them more productively. Other than that, they just status update my psychiatrist on my mental state. Where I think things are really fucked, is outside of abnormal psychology, especially with the medicalizing of every behavior under the Sun as a symptom of underlying 'behavioral disorder.' Depression, bipolar, PTSD, schizophrenia, or some psychosis, all seem way more treatable now, and possible to help many of those with them lead somewhat of a productive existence with quality of life. But it seems the exact opposite outside abnormal psychology, where it is like everyone who is just going through a shit patch in life is being given a label of some crippling behavioral disorder diagnosis, and then put on the SSRI flavor of the month med. Maybe I am just cynical, but if I had to give someone advice who is thinking of seeking therapy, it be make sure you are actually insane first if you want to get actual help from mental health professionals.