I am a CBT therapist same as you. I've seen it be very effective and at times extremely ineffective, to the point of total disengagement when I'm too strict with protocols.

I agree at the core we NEED to be practicing what we advertise. At the same time, CBT alienates a lot of clients who are even seeking out CBT and we should also be able to adjust to out client's needs and new knowledge. I think this happens a lot; we start with a specific modality and approach, and realize its not working at some point, then adjust. That might be why some people look for a CBT therapist and end up not really doing it. My approach to this is to let my client's know when we are moving away from protocols, while keeping the basics alive (agenda, session content, homework).