Perhaps the difference for me is that I never thought, believed or trusted the therapist would know anything about the actual issue I went for. I did believe the woman would have some knowledge about therapy that she would explain. She refused so I found a second one who would do that part - but the second one gets a bit more care-ish acting and does not stay back as well. The first became useful in that she stays back well and does not care - so I can tell her not to talk and then I can say some of the things I do not tell other people and that would make the second one get all invasive at me. The first one almost never ever gets what I am trying to get at which I accept and do not try to use her if I seek a sense of being understood.
The second does understand sometimes what I am talking about better so I now know what sorts of things are useful to me to tell the first one and what things are useful to me to tell the second one.