When To Seek Professional Help Some people seek professional help when trouble first appears, while others hold off until relationships have hit bottom. Several authorities in family mental health suggest the following rules of thumb about when to seek counseling: When you have exhausted your own coping strategies and the trouble remains. When the conflicts persist and seem to be vicious cycles of frustrations and upset. When an individual feels stuck in depression, anxiety, or self-defeating patterns of behavior. When a sexual problem perists. When physical symptoms of illness persist with no medical explanation. When either partner believes and feels that the only solution is separation or divorce. When an individual feels helpless to move away from a relationship that is irretrievably broken down. Kathleen Logan-Prince, MSW, LICSW     Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist    Certified Sex Therapist Phone: (781) 647-9555 Fax: (781) 893-2075