The OP didn't ask for medical advice, so I don't see what being a doctor has to do with anything. The OP asked for suggestions from others who may have been in similar situations, so people shared their thoughts. I am in the field and I think all this advice is valid.

Chit chat is not necessarily useful for everyone in this context. Someone who is extroverted, for example, may spend a good deal of time chit chatting with many people. In this case chit chatting with their T for an hour might be just another way to pass time and not terribly meaningful. A socially anxious person, on the other hand, may struggle with small talk and benefit very much from this kind of interaction. And some sessions that are lighter and casual are of course fine. But if you find every session becomes 50 minutes of shooting the breeze, it might be a sign that something else is up.