24-Hour Hotline 201-336-7575

With the goal of providing immediate assistance to Bergen County residents in distress, our hotline is a free, confidential, 24-hour emotional support and crisis response service for all persons who may be struggling with abuse or unhealthy dynamics in their relationships. The hotline provides callers with quickly accessible information about the warning signs of abuse, how to develop safety plans, and how to access a broad range of services and supports.

Healthy Relationship Consultations

Are there questions that you're struggling with in your current relationship but don't know who to ask?
Are you seeing things that bother you in your (or a loved one's) relationship?

For persons who don’t identify as being in crisis but who would like a confidential and nonjudgmental space to ask questions about relationships and the effects on their person—our Healthy Relationship Consultations may be a good fit!

Our Healthy Relationship Consultations are free, educational, one-time sessions for individuals or small groups who are looking for clarity or constructive feedback about past or current relationships. They are also open to community members who are harboring concerns and are looking for ways to support a loved one on their journey towards healthier dynamics.
To make an appointment with our trained educators, persons can fill out the form below, or contact the 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575. Consultations are available in-person in our offices or virtually through secure ZOOM video calls.

Click here to access our:
Appointment Request Form

Legal Assistance & Advocacy

Our court preparation services assist survivors who are interested in or have filed a temporary restraining order (or protective order) in civil court.
Our legal advocates provide participants with free, one-on-one legal education on the process of obtaining both temporary and/or final restraining orders in Bergen County. Our advocates are also equipped to screen participants for their eligibility for free legal representation in restraining order hearings as well as help connect them to court accompaniment the day of the hearing.

To make an appointment with a legal advocate, please contact the ADV hotline: 201-336-7575.

Walk-In Services

For face-to-face assistance, persons in distress as well as persons in need of information about our services are able to come to our office at 1 Bergen County Plaza on the 2nd Floor and meet with one of our counselors. Our walk-in hours are held on Mondays-Fridays from 9:00am-5:30pm except for holidays and any county building closures due to inclement weather. While calling ahead to our hotline to make an appointment is encouraged, it is not required.

ADV’s Welcome Group

Are you looking to..
- learn more about the signs of abuse in relationships?
- take the first steps towards healthier dynamics?
- connect with others who've been through this too?

The Welcome Group is a free 8-week educational program for adult survivors of abuse to learn about abuse dynamics in a group setting and to begin building their toolbox of coping skills, safety plan strategies, community supports, and peer networks. ADV also currently offers Welcome Groups for persons identifying as LGBTQIA looking for safe affirmation and orientation to all LGBTQIA-affirming community services.

The Welcome Group is ideal for anyone looking for a hassle-free introduction to intimate partner violence and to learning more about services available from ADV and community partners.

To get started, you can register here:
Welcome Group Registration Form

You can also register by contacting the 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575.

Court Preparation Resourcing (CP-R) Services

It is our experience that court proceedings can be very stressful and emotionally overwhelming for survivors.
Our CP-R services offer participants free, one-on-one trauma-informed stabilization sessions where a trained counselor uses advanced grounding and calming techniques to help them instill powerful coping skills prior to and during court proceedings.
CP-R services can be requested by calling our 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575 or by speaking to a legal advocate during Court Preparation Services.

Emotional Support Services (ESS)

For persons needing quick and flexible crisis intervention and emotional support, ESS are free, one-one-one support services offered to clients who desire personalized assistance in working towards their safety goals. ADV counselors work in partnership with clients to assess their individual cases, identify challenges and goals, and plan reasonable action steps.

Common client goals and action steps may include:

• Devising and reviewing a safety plan
• Applying for the Address Confidentiality Program
• Applying for Victim Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) funds
• Obtaining safe housing or financial assistance
• Learning coping skills for upcoming legal proceedings and hearings

To request ESS, please contact the 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575.

Survivor Group Counseling

Our counseling group programs for survivors of abuse offer free, safe, and therapeutic spaces for participants to learn about abuse in supportive environments, process their experiences of resistance and survival, and nurture their journeys towards healing and reconnection. Groups vary in length and duration and are available during weekday mornings, afternoons, and evenings.
All participants will be required to complete intake assessments in advance where ADV counselors are available to assist in devising the best service plan. To get started, please contact the 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575.

Current groups available in-person and/or virtually via secure ZOOM video calls:
Processing Groups provide information and support to survivors of abuse, granting them safe spaces to process their experiences while building a sense of community.
DBT Skills Groups support participants in learning how to cope effectively with intense emotions and to feel more empowered in their interpersonal relationships.
LGBTQIA+ THRIVE Group offers a safe, liberated space for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Pansexual (LGBTQIAP+) survivors of intimate partner violence to process experience of abuse. This group is aimed at building self-esteem, resilience, strategic resistance, and a sense of community, welcoming all regardless of the gender of their present partners.

New groups may be formed in response to community needs.

Individual Counseling Services

Our individual counseling program is a good fit for participants who need one-on-one support in realizing their safety planning and healing goals. Participants work in partnership with counselors to develop personalized wellness plans, which may include receiving education on the dynamics of abuse, nurturing their self-esteem, learning effective coping skills for trauma, and/or expanding their support systems.

If interested, please speak to your ADV counselor or contact the 24/7 hotline 201-336-7575 to inquire about current availability.

Individual Counseling for Teens

ADV offers free individual counseling to teens looking for additional support in stabilizing distress or recovering from harmful relationship issues. Individual counseling allows services to be individualized to each teen’s unique needs and goals. ADV’s licensed therapists are specially trained in various trauma-informed modalities and will assist teens and their support persons on developing helpful language, coping skills, and safety plans to combat the effects of abuse.

If interested, please speak to your ADV counselor or contact the main line 201-336-7575 to inquire about current availability.

Healthy Relationships for Teens (HRTs) Groups

The HRTs group gives teens and young adults a safe space to process relationship issues in a structured and supportive communal setting facilitated by licensed clinicians and antiviolence educators. The group's mission is to empower youth and directly engage them in violence prevention by raising their consciousness about power and control in all relationships, as well as their capacity to shape relationship norms in their community.

Teens will explore how to have healthy relationships with self, peers, and loved ones. Our therapeutic curriculum includes reviewing:
- the ingredients of healthy, equitable relationships
- the warning flags of exploitative relationships
- adaptive coping strategies for distress
- support-seeking and bystander intervention skills
- media literacy and active modes of community engagement

The groups meet weekly with several weekday options, are confidential, and are open to teens 14+ of all genders and regardless of the gender of their dating partners.
To learn more or sign up for services, contact the main line: 201-336-7575.

Healthy Relationship Consultations

Healthy Relationships Consultations are free, educational, one-time sessions for individuals or small groups who are looking for clarity or constructive feedback about past or current relationships. They are also open to friends and loved ones who are worried and are looking for ways to support a loved one on their journey towards healthier relationships.

To make an appointment with our trained educators, persons can fill out the form below, or contact the 24/7 Hotline: 201-336-7575. Consultations are available in-person in our offices or virtually through secure ZOOM video calls.

Click here to access our Appointment Request Form