Ask anyone who’s been married before, and they’ll likely tell you that marriage often takes years of hard work to maintain a healthy relationship. And they’re right ? but it’s often a tough call to know if or when you should visit a marriage counselor to work on this relationship.

While it’s never an easy choice, making the decision to seek out couples counseling services will almost always benefit your marriage. And your marriage doesn’t have to be in disarray for counseling to help improve your bond with your spouse. Here are three of the biggest signs that it might be time to seek out marriage therapy services:

Your spouse has suggested it

This is probably the easiest way to tell if it’s time to see a marriage counselor. In most cases, your spouse isn’t suggesting it to make your feel like a failure or to insult you ? they’re doing it because they genuinely want your marriage to thrive. And that should be a positive sign, if anything.

You’re facing a major transition in your marriage

Every marriage faces major milestones at some point, whether it’s having a child or making a big move to another part of the country. Such big changes can put extra stress on your relationship with your spouse ? but everyone copes with stress in different ways. With the help of a marriage counselor, you can find more productive ways to manage your stress and better communicate with your spouse.

You or your spouse is going through anxiety, depression or other struggles

Did you know that 350 million people worldwide experience some form of depression? Anxiety is just as common. If you’re facing symptoms of either condition, a marriage counselor can help you develop ways of coping with them and managing your mental health.

Making the decision to seek out a marriage counselor doesn’t mean your marriage is a failure. In fact, it’s a choice that can often make your marriage stronger than ever ? 93 percent of marriage counseling patients surveyed reported that they gained new tools to effectively deal with their problems. Respondents also reported feeling better both physically and mentally, with a reduction in anxiety levels and other improvements.