"Wrong practice "

I reffered my self to IAPT Ealing mental health services and was told by the therapist, that CBT therapy refers to "telling me to do or not to do certain behaviour". I was told "listening is part ot counselling and not CBT". The therapist often was in rush and the few sessions we did ended 20 min earlier. They said "CBT doesn't explain and answers questions". From all of that I could not understand what is the way CBT works and how ordering a person to not do or do something will help without explanation to help me understand and heal.