Many times, trauma t starts out with skill building so that you can get through the processing piece. Even working with an s.a. therapist, the first several sessions were spent making sure I had the skills needed to get me through the flashbacks and the other ptsd symptoms. It's work to be able to get to the processing point. However it may be good to have that conversation with your t again and clarify that you feel it important to deal with the past directly. I would also probably ask again what her idea of treatment is.
Even therapy that doesn't go as far as we'd like isn't necessarily a waste of time or money. If you don't agree with how the therapy is progressing, it's OK to look for a new t. But keep in mind that trauma work is generally slow and starts with skills. Even emdr and pe therapies make sure you have a strong skills foundation before jumping in to anything overly triggering.
That said, I can relate to the frustration around focusing on skills when the flashbacks and memories are so overwhelming. I feel strongly that (at least for myself), I need to fave the past to be able to lessen the symptoms. Skills feel useless when the symptoms are relentless.