I find IC to be a nice supplement to my self-improvement, but not the primary driver. DB forums, reading, meditation, exercise, and general PMA/GAL have all contributed just as strongly.
Also, not sure this is the case for you, but I used to take a passive approach and "trust the process" with IC. I've learned that it's up to me to steer the direction I want things to go. I'm much more satisfied with counseling now because I go into sessions with an agenda of what I want to tackle.
