TBH, I think a lot of therapists don't have a ton of expertise in mental illness. For many, their specialties seems to be in curating a space where clients are essentially supposed to "talk themselves better". I agree that silence can be a powerful tool but it can also be a crutch.

With my therapists now (clinical psyc and psychiatrist), I see a huge difference in terms of how they're able to:

1) ask questions that show they actually have frameworks of knowledge rather than just probing around aimlessly

2) provide direct feedback and clear information about illnesses and their manifestation, medications, and my behaviors

3) demonstrate consistency from week to week in their understanding of how my issues progress and how I can get better

I'll usually come to session with only 1 or 2 things on my mind but my therapists make it work so we'll converse for 60-90 minutes every time. If I really don't know the answer to something, we won't sit in silence for five minutes. Instead, they'll approach the issue in a different way.