Unfortunately this is driven by the insurance companies. The typical insurance company only pays by the "session" ..the same amount whether that session is one, two, or three hours. You can see how having extended sessions is not financially feasible for a therapist. (And, no, they can't submit it like you saw them twice instead.)

However, the one hour (50 moinute) session really is a good standard. Covering too much material.. well opening up too much material at once can be detrimental.

An hour gives a brief amount of time for IRL events that happened (my sister had her baby..blah blah blah) and the real reason you're in therapy (I hate myself and everything I do is wrong), homework results, and then summation and homework giving. Once a patient is "stablized" or at least on the road of healing... most of the therapy work is done outside of the session anyway. What patients do the other 6 days, with what they are learning about themselves and their world while in that session, is most important.

Any good T will try and give some fudge time to your session, if you really do need a few more minutes... but you can see how that might ruin the whole day... especially for the next patient who takes their lunch time and can only stay 35 minutes!

Just my POV TC!