One (very minor) weakness of this thread/poll is it doesn't distinguish between psychiatry, which is a branch of medicine, and psychotherapy, which is a "talking treatment". Both have their place and a particular psychiatrist may, occasionally, also be a therapist.
Now I fully understand there is value is getting the perspective of an external and unbiased source.
It seems like you're maybe imagining that the client says what's on his mind and the therapist then responds with his perspective or even advice (which may or may not be useful). That maybe what happens sometimes but is not, i believe, typical of most therapy.
A lot that happens in therapy is unconscious - it isn't conscious problem solving.
One perspective on therapy is that it provides a substitute experience. The person who as a baby/child missed out on secure attachment to his parents (with all the benefits that would have flowed from that) can now have a secure, trusting relationship with the therapist as a substitute experience.
Then there is the fact that I would have to pause and continue in the next session, and this person isnt going to remember those details. And those details are important. If I have to keep reminding them of details, i can see that getting frustrating.
You're right, those details are important. And in my experience therapists
are very good at remembering them.
Following quote is interesting and is from the wikipedia entry for psychotherapy:
In 2001, Bruce Wampold of the University of Wisconsin published the book The Great Psychotherapy Debate.[33] In it Wampold, a former statistician who went on to train as a counseling psychologist, reported that
1. psychotherapy is indeed effective,
2. the type of treatment is not a factor,
3. the theoretical bases of the techniques used, and the strictness of adherence to those techniques are both not factors,
4. the therapist's strength of belief in the efficacy of the technique is a factor,
5. the personality of the therapist is a significant factor,
6. the alliance between the patient(s) and the therapist (meaning affectionate and trusting feelings toward the therapist, motivation and collaboration of the client, and empathic response of the therapist) is a key factor.
Wampold therefore concludes that "we do not know why psychotherapy works".
I think this captures what's important - psychotherapy does work, but we don't know exactly why or how. A key thing , i believe, is the quality of the relationship that's built up between therapist and client (point 6).