I think on a basic level they have an ethical and perhaps legal (in many places) requirement to ensure that if they see signs that you are suicidal (ie threatening to hurt yourself) then they are obligated to get you to a place of greater support (ie the hospital). The same goes if you are at risk for hurting someone else. That is, the basic level of care is to ensure that you are not going to harm/kill yourself or anyone else. Beyond that, I think that the level of care can/will vary. Some therapists have a more hands off approach while some are more involved. It all depends.