Thanks for opening this thread, I have the same questions about these kinds of things and it's nice to read all the replies ( @unaluna your metaphor was really nice, made me see it from a different angle, thanks!).
My T hasn't said it in those exact words, I think, but he has said that change will happen subconsciously by talking a lot with a therapist, and that it takes long (never says how long). To me, this is the same as saying to trust the process, be it a wee little bit more specific. It leaves me with no answer lol, and it makes me wonder if I should opt for a different style of therapy. Then again, somehow I do have more faith in psychodynamic therapy than for example CBT (for my issues I mean), so I suppose in some sense I do trust the process.