I think that these kinds of discussions can be helpful for building the relationship, as long as they don't take over too much of the session.

I had wanted to know more about my former T's interests. A lot of that was about wanting to find common ground. A mirroring/twinning kind of thing. With my current T, I'm curious about her interests, and would welcome knowing more, but I feel less compelled to want to talk about those kinds of things.