It's hard for me to imagine that a T would think someone who SIs less frequently doesn't need help, and make comparisons to someone who does it more often. I think if you're using this coping mechanism you still have work to do. But SI isn't the main thing to consider. It's just one symptom, and there are underlying reasons why we do that. It's the underlying problems that we have to deal with, and that matters a lot more than our pattern with SI.

I do think that changes in the pattern can be a sign that should be taken note of, however, everybody is different. In my case, there have been times when I did some form of SI several times per week or even daily, but it would be pretty minor, and then sometimes I would stop for a while - maybe several weeks or even months - but then when I did it again it would be significant. When I was really severely depressed I usually didn't SI because (1) I was afraid I would do too much, and (2) SI does make me feel more in control, and more calm, etc., and when I was really depressed I felt like being out of control, and just letting myself spiral downward, so I didn't do anything that would interfere with those feelings. For me, there is more cause for concern when I'm depressed and not SIing. That was when I had suicidal ideation going on and was being careful not to let anyone know about it or draw attention to myself. So, the pattern can be significant, but it's going to be different from one person to another. With most people it would seem more likely that less SI = doing better, but that just isn't necessarily the case.