The short answer from me is yes, I've done it and it works for me. I use Consumer Credit Counseling Service, which Suze Orman recommends. Their national website is www.nfcc.org, which you can use to find an agency in your area.
I was in a situation (due to a lot of factors) where I was unable to pay even the minimum amount on my cards. My counselor sat down with me and made a very realistic budget and we came up with an amount I could afford to pay per month. He negotiated with the credit cards to get to an interest rate and monthly payment that would fit with that amount. I pay CCCS every month and they disburse the funds to the companies.
I keep on top of my statements from the credit card companies (which I still receive) and my statement from CCCS to make sure that the payments are matching up. It's a huge relief to me not to be dealing with collection calls and fear that I won't be able to pay my bills.
When I checked my credit reports last year, the main designation on the accounts was "pays as agreed." One of them had a note that I was in counseling. According to what I was told by CCCS, the fact that I'm using them can not affect my credit score. Once I have everything paid off, I can go to CCCS for help in getting a new credit card (which I will, of course, use responsibly!), a mortgage, etc.
If you can make the debt snowball method work for you, I think that's probably the way to go. But, if you are like me and your budget is bare bones and there's still not enough to pay the minimums then I think counseling is a sound alternative!