Yes, I had therapy like that once. I actually dreaded going and like you said, it felt like a chore, and I just ended up quitting.

I liked the therapist a lot, but it was more like chatting with a friend. She was smart but not really clinically trained, maybe. (Not saying yours isn't competent-but a therapist could try to engage the client too; wouldn't put 100% on you.)

At the time, I had an adult trauma a few months before starting. I think i may have been numb with PTSD, so I wasn't feeling emotion at all.

Could it be PTSD numbing for you?

I can also say that with my current therapist, I didn't feel engaged the first few months. I wasn't physically well at the time, either, and was beat/worn down. I think with him it was exhaustion. But his way of engaging back then (or lack of it-blank slate behavior) drew out intense emotions in me. Then I was highly engaged. So it can take time.

It can be different when you enter therapy in an active crisis, post crises, episode of MDD, or are in a good place in life and just looking for self improvement. People's experiences vary so much, so it's difficult to make comparisons with others. But it's natural to do that. I think it's good to question things. Can you bring this up to your therapist?