I actually don't agree that a good patient has to do what the T asks. If a therapist makes suggestions, they won't always be to the point or relevant for the patient. (I had a former therapist suggest that I "give myself credit" or something like that when I did things right. I'm sure that's a useful thing for many people but for me it sent me spiralling down quickly. And the thing was that that even though I knew myself well enough to know it would be bad for me, I made a very honest and thorough attempt to be openminded and try it anyway, and it took me a while to recover from the damage I did to myself by following that suggestion. The same therapist made other suggestions that would have been damaging to me if I had followed them - about my job, for instance, which she had very little clue about. I would have seriously stifled in my personality and my career - which are very closely interrelated - if I had done as she told me.)

I do think that if a therapist suggests something, it is usually helpful to discuss it and make a honest assessment about whether it might work, and if not, why not. Following the T's advice without questioning it is never a good idea, but neither is refusing to listen to what they say. Discussion is key. Of course, if you don't feel that it's worthwhile to discuss your T's suggestions with them (as I never did with my exT) it could be a sign that it's not the right T for you.