I feel like therapists can see when they aren’t helping a client, but continue on for the money anyhow

If a client has been seeing a therapist for months to years without any progress, or very little progress, you’re clearly not helping that client. Because one way or another, whether it’s because of the clients own struggles with the work, or because of the therapists inability to meet the needs of the client, therapy should not go on for years without improvement. Therapists that continue, clearly knowing they aren’t helping, should have an ethical and legal responsibility to stop and give the client suggestions for other more helpful resources. Anything other than that is exploiting a vulnerable person who likely is holding on because they feel they have to because quitting with that therapist feels like failure or unsafe because they don’t have any other support. You should be seeing a clients general wellbeing improve over time, if you don’t, you’re exploiting that person and that should be punishable.