Am I Actually Getting Better? Signs of Healing and the Truth About Who Can Help You

By Lisa King, LPC

One of the most common questions I hear from clients who have been grinding through the hard work of trauma recovery is, "Is this even working?"

When you are in the thick of healing from dysfunctional family dynamics, religious trauma, or complex PTSD, progress doesn't always feel like a triumphant march across a finish line. Sometimes, it feels like you're just tired. But if we look closely, there are tell-tale signs—some loud, some very quiet—that you are shifting from surviving to living.

It is also vital to know who is guiding you on this journey. In a world flooded with "trauma coaches" and influencers, understanding the massive gap between a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a life coach is not just semantics—it’s a matter of your safety.

Signs You Are Engaging in Deep Healing Work

Healing isn't linear, but it leaves clues. Here are the obvious and the not-so-obvious ways you can tell the work is taking root.

The Obvious Signs

• Symptom Reduction: The panic attacks are fewer. The nightmares aren't every night. You aren't dissociating as frequently.

• Improved Relationships: You are fighting less or fighting fairer. You might be choosing safer people to be around.

• Vulnerability: You can cry in session without feeling unsafe or needing to apologize for your emotions.

The Subtle (But Powerful) Signs

These are the "quiet wins" that often go unnoticed but actually signal massive neural rewiring:

• The "Pause": In the past, a trigger would instantly cause a reaction (yelling, shutting down, fawning). Now, there is a split-second pause between the trigger and your response. You have a choice you didn't have before.

• Disappointing Others Doesn't Destroy You: You set a boundary, someone got mad, and you didn't spiral into a shame hole for three days. You tolerated the discomfort of being disliked.

• Curiosity Over Judgment: Instead of thinking, "I'm so stupid for feeling this," you think, "I wonder why that comment made me feel so small?"

• Boredom with Chaos: Dysfunction is exciting; peace can feel boring to a traumatized nervous system. When you start finding drama exhausting rather than magnetic, you are healing.

Therapy vs. Life Coaching: Knowing the Difference

There is a disturbing trend of life coaches claiming to treat "trauma" or "narcissistic abuse recovery." It is crucial to understand the difference because treating trauma requires clinical expertise, not just good advice.

Therapy (The Medical/Clinical Model)

• Focus: Therapy focuses on mental health, diagnosing and treating mental illness (like CPTSD, Depression, Anxiety), and processing past wounds to heal the present.

• Scope: Therapists are healthcare providers. We are trained to handle crisis, suicidality, dissociation, and the deep neurological impact of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

• Regulation: We are bound by HIPAA laws (confidentiality) and state boards that can revoke our license if we harm you.

Life Coaching (The Goal-Oriented Model)

• Focus: Coaching focuses on the future. It is about setting goals, accountability, and getting from point A to point B in your career or personal life.

• Scope: Coaches work with "worried well" individuals—people who are generally functioning well but want to excel.

• The Danger Zone: A life coach is not trained to unpack sexual abuse or childhood trauma. If they open those wounds without the clinical skill to close them, they can re-traumatize you. Coaching is unregulated. Anyone can wake up tomorrow, build a website, and call themselves a "Trauma Coach" with zero training.

The Education Gap: LPC vs. Life Coach in Texas

To illustrate the difference in expertise, let’s look at what it takes to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas versus a life coach.

To Become a Life Coach

• Requirements: None. Zero.

• Education: No degree required.

• Certification: Voluntary. You can take a weekend course online, or you can take a rigorous course through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), but the state of Texas does not require any of it to practice.

To Become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas

The barrier to entry for therapists is intentionally high to ensure public safety.

1. Master’s Degree: You must hold a Master’s or Doctoral degree in Counseling (typically 60+ graduate credit hours) from an accredited university.

2. Exams: You must pass the National Counselor Examination (NCE) (a rigorous standardized clinical exam) AND the Texas Jurisprudence Exam (covering state laws and ethics).

3. The "Associate" Phase: After graduating and passing exams, you are an "LPC Associate." You cannot practice independently yet.

4. 3,000 Supervised Hours: You must complete 3,000 clock hours of supervised work. At least 1,500 of these must be direct client contact. This takes anywhere from 18 months to 5 years.

5. Ongoing Education: Once fully licensed, we are required to complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every renewal period to stay current on ethics and clinical skills.

Can They Switch Roles?

• Can a Therapist become a Coach? Yes. Because therapists already have the advanced training in human behavior, they can easily pivot. Many therapists pursue the Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential, which allows those with a master’s in counseling to take a condensed 30-hour training to become certified.

• Can a Coach become a Therapist? No—not without starting over. A life coach cannot "test into" being a therapist. They would have to go back to college, get a Master’s degree, pass the board exams, and complete the 3,000 hours of supervision just like everyone else.

The Bottom Line: If you are needing someone to help you organize your schedule or launch a business, hire a coach. But if you are healing from the wounds of your family, your religion, or your past, you deserve the safety and expertise of a licensed clinician.

References & Resources

• Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC): The regulatory agency for LPCs in Texas. bhec.texas.gov

• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE): Information on the Board Certified Coach (BCC) credential for valid mental health professionals. cce-global.org

• Texas Administrative Code, Title 22, Part 30, Chapter 681: The specific laws governing the 3,000-hour requirement and licensure for Professional Counselors in Texas.

• International Coaching Federation (ICF): The gold standard for voluntary coaching certification (though not a license to practice therapy). coachingfederation.org

©Lisa King, LPC