Suppose you are a guy who has been married for many years and hobbied to make life more bearable. Things have been stale but you don't want to break up the family. And suppose you find out your wife is leaving and is shacking up with a new guy (not because she found out about the hobby). You can't really resent her for wanting it but you see a difference in the situation.  

I would assume a few have been through this.  

I don't care if you put up pieces of paper on the wall with each option written on them and throw darts at them. But DO something. Or do several things. Just do it.
And if you're in therapy, don't tell your therapist you're seeing hookers. They may be pros but they're human, too, and can't avoid judging you from a position of ignorance.
So use the ads here or on some other site. Read reviews. Get in touch with someone and get screened. Then have fun. You'll thank me later.

If you are going to see a therapist, not telling them what is going on with you makes the whole thing a waste of money.

with friends and family. They are your lifeline in times of need. Use escorts for relief of physical needs, but not for emotional support.

If you are going to pay someone to help you through this, lying to them, or lying through omission, kind of defeats the whole purpose of having a therapist in the first place. You seem to be torn between thinking your mongering had nothing to do with the problems in your marriage or not. The fact that you aren't sure in your own mind suggests that perhaps a "professional opinion" might be warranted.

There are many reasons people turn to various forms of the hobby. Some are looking to fill the void of any females in their life, others are in long term marriages with solid emotional connections but no longer any physical ones (and 100’s of variations in between). You are clearly going thru a lot and seeking the help of a professional I would be very smart. The last thing I would do is worry whether a therapist is going to judge you. Would you go to a doctor with a severe migraine and tell him your knee hurts and hope that he finds out what is really going on. Would you go to a mechanic and tell him your AC isn’t working when the trouble is something in the suspension of the car. You get the picture, if you are going to go to a therapist and not tell them the truth, you might as well take out a few grand from the bank and just toss it out the window as your driving down the expressway. If you open up to the therapist and you feel like you are being judged, find a new therapist (and politely point out to them that you didn’t come to them for approval on your life choices). Most importantly, talk to someone about what you are going thru and address it head on. Not doing so only sets you up for a crash later on down the road.

I highly recommend therapy for this type of situation. A good therapist not only provides a safe environment for you to discuss your issues he/she also will help you discover things about yourself you never realized. There are a lot of online resources. (I believe Psychology Today has a website where you can search for therapists in your area that specialize in all types of areas--drug problems, relationships, breakups/divorce, etc.)

Just kidding, really, and I had a very good therapist for some years. And bear in mind I did NOT say don't tell them "what is going on with you," just stay away from the subject. Whether someone sees a hooker or doesn't is NOT a psychological issue to me. You can deal with your problems honestly in all other respects and have just as good an outcome. But therapists are much like other people when it comes to this world. They have opinions based on ignorance and prejudice. And seeing a hooker is not something anyone needs "help" to recover from. In fact, there's no real reason why it should come up at all. In my case I saw a therapist for a couple of years and there never was a single point where discussing my whore-mongering was remotely relevant to the issue.

As someone who has been in therapy on and off for 20 years (because of fucked up parents), I can tell you that everyone that works in mental health has some kind of a messed up past. Why else do they want to help others? Their past is jaded too. So be very careful on what you divulge because the therapist is like any other person, they have opinions and prejudices.
Personally, I would consider this a blessing from my 30 years of marriage where 15 have been completely sexless thanks to menopause.

I never understood how therapists would help.  I'd just want to argue with them, tell them their ideas don't make sense.

from a therapist then their advice is going to be worthless without the whole picture.  If you're going to go that route, then it makes more sense to discuss your problems during a session with a hooker.  At least you will get a blowjob along with the worthless advice.

I know one provider I see that I consider her a therapist, too. I get a multiplying effect for my money. I respect her perspective and she has an advanced psychology degree. And, I do get a BBBJ as a bonus.

I'm not quite sure I'm following, you think that people don't normally want to help others?

A lot of mental health professionals got into the biz because they had mental health issues themselves.  But that doesn't mean that they don't want to help people.  You do, however, need to be careful about disclosing information about how you wilfully violate laws for a variety of reasons.  If you ever want to apply for a security clearance, they could rummage through that stuff.  If you get a divorce, your wife might be able to obtain that information and use it against you.  Not to mention that there are circumstances such as if you are perceived as a danger to others (which is interpretable) where they could share information with authorities.  I wouldn't assume that everything you say is always completely private.  

I don't even think they exist (only on TV) and wouldn't trust him/her.  
I wouldn't be married either. But if I did, I do see her leaving with that other guy.  
In the end I would get drunk and get a cheap apt girl before considering suicide but not going thru with it.

So it might be. What do you care if I'm stressed, have poor mental health, my hearth if f'd up, I drink, I use drugs  and have many other diseases (actually I'm very healthy and not addicted to hard drugs) but if I was? Maybe I'm talking for others in worse situations. As your doctor I will tell you to laugh at it all.

I'm saying that people that want to "...deal with and help other people with mental/social issues" are typically mentally damaged in some way too. I just don't think someone with a really good past childhood, mental status, etc would typically want to be a therapist. AKA Therapists need Therapists. I've seen enough different therapists to know this over 20 years. Take their advice like a good friend that doesn't know you personally... strange combo there, but that's how I approach it. I had a woman therapist, with spouse, over this whole lack of sex thing. SHE didn't see my side at all... hold hands more, hug and snuggle more. Nothing prevents you from jacking off does it she says. Sorry, I need a blow job. Rosie Palm and I need a break.

You could be writing about what I just went through about 5 years ago.  

First off, I am a big fan of therapy.  Helped me through the death of my first wife, and saved my life.

...in many senses of the word.

Talk about worthless...what do you get for your $200 blow job?

for $200.  If you  get out a little more, you would know that prices for girls that work from an incall charge more than that.  However, if you are in the streetwalker market, which is where I'm guessing you get your price point, I'm told that for $200 you can get one that's not that fat and still has all of her teeth.  I have never seen a streetwalker, but is this consistent with your own experience?

280, 270, 200 (for 30 minutes).

Half that or even less for a SW.
$200 can get you a decent regular girl, regular service too.

...all he can afford to see are cut-rate K-girls.  In L.A, as you say, you can see a K-girl for $200 for a half hour.  CDL has seen K-girls in the Bay Area for $220/hour.  He IS one level above streetwalkers himself.

The wimp uses the modern version of Craigs' List (Humaniplex) coupled with a disposable Tracfone.  He takes the by the minute plan so that they can squeeze him in between large loads.  A little donation for a little dick.

and I have never used it.  I have a long history of slamming them on various boards when someone brings up the subject.  The link below will take you to my most recent bash of Hx when the subject came up on the LA Regional Board.