I read some books on the neuroscience of psychotherapy and that helped me accept that talking about things in a round about way, recounting my past, does make changes - or I should say has the potential to make changes. It is not fast and you are correct that it is fairly self driven and what I have found is that there are no "solutions". What has happened has been more of a releasing (for lack of a better word) of the emotional connections/distresses to the memories. I don't forget the memories; however, the emotional impact of them seem to be less tangled.

There are other forms of therapy that are more directive - such as CBT and DBT. Looking for a therapist that specializes in one of those forms, might provide you with what you are looking for. I have done CBT before and found that all it did for me was give me a vocabulary to use when talking about what was going on for me and the ability to see when I was falling for one of the traps. It didn't stop me from falling for the traps nor "solve" my depressive tendencies which includes from your list:

- better indulgence of my hobbies so that I can follow my curiosity without feeling like killing myself
-ability to identify and follow passion
-cheerful and engaging attitude at work

There are many paths to get from point A to point B in this journey. I can say I was very skeptical about talk therapy at the beginning, that has changed and for me I believe it is the only way to get to point B.

Good luck with your search.