I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect a psych practitioner to share at least broad expectations around prognosis with their clients, just as anyone else in the medical field would be expected to do. Unfortunately no one usually holds them to such standards, including themselves. If a general practitioner told you to keep coming in without giving you any idea of why or for how long and to just have faith in the process, would you go?

I get the lightbulb analogy, but isn't that only half the battle? You can want to change until the cows come home, but if you're with a therapist who isn't genuinely well equipped to help you, if your particular diagnostic profile is not genuinely in their wheelhouse, it won't be likely to make much difference.

If the therapist doesn't set expectations, both for their own and for the client's benefit, I don't see how anyone in the situation can remain effectively motivated to achieve.