A T that you have developed a good relationship with and who has helped you over the long haul won't always have to repeat back what you say. However, it is a good tool in therapy, especially with new patients. Many, many people, just as post here at PC, just really need to know someone is hearing what they are saying.
Good therapy allows the T to guide the patient to figure things out for herself, and thus be able to learn how to do that for life. I enjoy my pain T to scrunch up his face from time to time and repeat back what he thinks I mean, just so he's sure... and if I didn't make myself clear, I know it immediately and can correct it.

Now, with that said, during my initial evaluations after my injury, you know, going to the insurance paid psychiatrists etc..there was one that was most annoying. (I firmly believe he did this to irritate patients that he wanted to discount for the insurance company.) Anyway, he taped recorded HIS repeat backs. For example he'd ask me where the pain was, and AS I began telling him, "I hurt.." he'd begin speaking into his tape recorder "Patient says she hurts..." That's NOT therapy!

Yeah, parroting is not therapy.