MARS & VENUS Counseling Center - Bergen County

Brian R. _{on Yelp}

Nov 8th, 2021

I have been here for a while.  So far, so good.  The counselor has helped me through many circumstances in my life that have been aggravated by COVID.  Excellent professional counselors.  I have recommended these offices many times to other people, though they go to another office than I go to.

Rachel G. _{on Yelp}

Oct 23rd, 2021

Based on my experience, it doesn't seem like they truly have capacity to take on new patients as advertised on their website. I started the process in early September and the earliest appointment time confirmed once I was through all the paperwork was a month later, which was standard according to them. Due to the sensitive nature of information they requested, I asked to mail the forms rather than sending by email as they recommended. I believe I was provided a residential address, which did not appear to match any of their local offices. The lack of security in their standard process (email) with how sensitive information is communicated made me nervous, but I tried to trust the process and ended up sending the requested information by mail to the address provided. I patiently waited for my first appointment today and received a text less than an hour before the scheduled time indicating she had the wrong date. I reconfirmed the time and day we had agreed to in writing and she mentioned her assistant must have put it in wrong in their system/calendar. While I did get an apology, she was quick to put other factors at the forefront of her explanation rather than just owning the mistake, making me reconsider if this counselor had the qualities I hoped someone working in this field would have. She agreed to still meet at the original time confirmed, but I was pretty upset by this point to have waited so long and now feel like an afterthought. Knowing the conversation wouldn't be productive with how frustrated I was, I canceled and she was gracious enough to not charge for the session. I'm unhappy that I had to wait so long to wind up having a very disappointing first experience. I did not get the sense from her final responses that she understood my frustration or genuinely cared about what happened and the impact, so I would not recommend or reconsider using this provider based on how I was treated.

Pablo Morales _{on Google}

Aug 12th, 2021

does anyone know what the prices for there services are ?

S V _{on Google}

Sep 11th, 2020

Great counselors. Many locations.

Marcus P. _{on Yelp}

Oct 15th, 2019

"Not only do they lack COMPASSION but they are also DISHONEST". You'd think a counseling agency would be understanding and supportive of MAJOR positive changes in your life. Short Read AND VERY IMPORTANT:I've always had issues with my father and they got worse as I grew up. This was the main topic that was discussed in my sessions. I took a long break (approximately a year) to work on myself and peace from within. My relationship with my father was getting better but I was still having issues and decided to go back to my trusted therapist (or so I thought). I was working a really awful dead end job and I was ready to quit. I scheduled an appointment for Monday (it was Sunday) and while I was on break (around 8pm), I got a call from my father to work for him the next day (Monday). The job was better than the one I was working so I took the offer. I was super excited, not only was it a raise but this was a start to finally mending our relationship. I lost track of time and didn't contact my therapist until the day of. On Monday (the day of my session), my therapist asked if I was coming in and I notified her that I got a promotion and had to start a new job that conflicted with the time. Her reply? "ok". KEEP IN MIND I DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE THE NEWS UNTIL THE NIGHT PRIOR (less than 24 hours before our session). She never reached out to me, as she normally would when I was visiting her consistently. Weeks went by and I received a notification from my bank that "Mars & Venus Counseling" has billed me for $50 even though my cancellation policy was only $25. Even after my promotion I still don't make a lot. I called & left multiple voicemails. Never received a reply. As for my therapist, I contacted her directly to resolve the issue. Even being privy to my situation, she wouldn't budge; constantly repeating that the policy is 24 hours notice. I'd understand if I was forgetful but that wasn't the case. In this line of work, people should be malleable with their policies to avoid situations like mine. How can you, with a clear conscious, charge a patient that is actively taking positive steps to better their life???? This shows me they are NOT professionals at all, they DON'T care about anything besides the money, and they will find every and any way to squeeze you for it. This is disgusting and I can't believe they hide their intentions under the shroud of counseling. Y'ALL ARE THE ONES THAT NEED HELP! I feel like Mars & Venus only care about you when you're down and out. They charge you for rehabilitation and as soon as your positive strides interfere with their policy, they railroad you.Have a good day, and I will tell everyone I know about my horrendous experience with you in the hopes that no one goes thru the stress you've caused me.UPDATE: It was never about the money but they're reversing the cancellation fee. My therapist texted me back and I hope her apology was sincere. I write this with a heavy heart and sadness because I truly trusted her. I loved our sessions and I didn't understand why it had to end like this. Now I can't even go back...take care & I'll miss our talks.