I recently heard a man, with no therapeutic training, tell a woman, a therapist, that her understanding of therapy was wrong. She values being present and listening more than giving instruction, and the man told her the patient might as well be talking to a dummy.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with someone who wanted to tell me their story. I listened for more than an hour, occasionally asking a clarifying question. The person found it helpful and comforting — except for when I interr...