With so many self-help programs on the market today, how can you tell which one is right for you? Well, there might be some, or none at all, that work at the right time and the right place with the right information.

For instance, you can watch a self-help expert give five minutes of good advice on the Today show in the morning, hear her again during a segment on your favorite drive-time radio show or listen to her book on CD during your morning commute, then read a few chapters of her book before bed at night.

So it's not really format that concerns me as much as the quality of what you're reading, listening to or seeing. That's why I've developed a simple 3-Question test to help you pick the right information so you won't waste time on the wrong stuff.

Question # 1: Does it ring true? Some of the advice you hear is suspect right from the start. Like those creepy guys who teach men how to pick up women or pseudo-intellectuals who say the best remedy for an ailing sex life is to install a stripper pole in your bedroom! You can't throw common sense out the window just because someone has a Ph.D. or is a so-called expert. You know yourself best; if something doesn't ring true, it probably won't help.

Question # 2: Does it feel comfortable? Who knows, maybe a stripper pole in your bedroom would spice things up for your love life, who am I to say? It's more important what you think about whatever advice you're being given and, more importantly, how it makes you feel. More specifically, are you comfortable with the advice. For some, a couples retreat sponsored by a local church group will be the answer; for others, it would just never fly on a variety of counts. The point here is to listen to the advice with a grain of salt and determine whether it;s going to be the right fit for you, personally. Just because the person giving advice is the highest-rated "expert" in all the land doesn't make that advice right for you, every time.

Question # 3: Is it practical? On the most basic of levels, will it work? Perhaps more importantly, will you actually do it? A lot of the advice these experts give is good, sound advice. The issue is whether or not it is good, sound advice for you. Will you really stick to having a "date night" every Wednesday? Is it really practical for you to invest in his and her counseling sessions? Is extreme dating right for you?

All of these are pieces of advice heard recently on popular "relationship rescue" shows, but not all will be right for every person. Regardless of the advice, or who is giving it, the only one who has a stake in how well it will work is you.