Remember that we are not really doing something TO the client. We are inviting her to change her mind so that she is in a more resourceful state than she was before. The best changes are the ones that she will maintain and continue by herself after the session is over.
If we succeed in changing our client's direction in life, then a lot more gains are going to come out of that than just what happened in the session. If instead of moving in the direction of failures, sadness, and accidents she is now moving towards successes, happiness, and delightful surprises - that will mean a big difference for her life. What exactly the result will be, we don't know yet.
Producing a too complete and final result in one session can actually sabotage further progress to some degree. If the client thinks that now she has figured it all out and there is nothing more to do, then she is not going to grow further in that area. If on the other hand we start her on an adventure that she will continue on her own and that she will keep working on, that will produce many times more gains.
The real gain and change comes from feeling and acting differently. It is not just something one figures out analytically. Therefore, it is not always preferred that the client gets a nice big realization that explains everything so that she doesn't have to look any further. It is of greater value if she now feels more powerful and positive and will act differently. What her change is and what it means is something she needs to experience by playing the game of life, it is not something she can square away simply by thinking about it in session.
In setting a direction it usually works well to have both something one is moving away from and something one is moving towards. If the client remembers how screwed up her life used to be and she has a clear vision of her future, then she is going to be moving ahead.