- FormatIn person or online. Most online meetings run on Zoom.
- CameraOptional. You don't have to appear on camera online.
- PrivacyConfidentiality is a guiding principle, and SMART keeps no permanent record of names or attendance.
- Who it's forAny addictive or problem behavior: alcohol, drugs, gambling, tobacco, food and more.
- ObserversProfessionals and students email the facilitator for permission first.
SMART Recovery meetings in New Jersey
SMART Recovery is a free mutual-help program for addictive behaviors, grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy. Its meetings run in person in New Jersey towns and online, and SMART Recovery's own meeting finder is the place to search them.
- Cost
- Free; donations welcome
- Length
- Typically 90 minutes
- Led by
- Trained volunteer facilitators
- Find one
- SMART Recovery's meeting finder
Reviewed against public records on 24 October 2026. NJ Sober Living has sober living homes in Bergen County and is not affiliated with SMART Recovery.
What is SMART Recovery?
SMART Recovery is a peer support program that teaches practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and non-confrontational motivational methods. You can use it on its own or alongside other help.
SMART's 4-Point Program
- 1
Build and maintain motivation
Find your own reasons to change, and keep that drive going over time.
- 2
Cope with urges and cravings
Practical ways to handle cravings, with support that continues after a setback.
- 3
Manage thoughts, feelings and behavior
Notice and question the thoughts that get in the way, and build a more balanced view.
- 4
Live a balanced life
Set realistic goals so life feels meaningful and enjoyable without the old behavior.
Source: SMART Recovery, 4-Point Program and About us. Where SMART stands on a higher power and on AA and NA is set out side by side in the comparison below.
How do you find a SMART Recovery meeting in New Jersey?
Search SMART Recovery's meeting finder by location, or look at its online meetings. The finder lists in-person meetings in New Jersey towns and online groups you can join from anywhere in the state.
Open the meeting finder
Go to meetings.smartrecovery.org, or use the SMART Recovery app on your phone.
Search near you, or pick online
Search by your town or area to see in-person meetings close by, or look at online meetings instead.
Choose the program and read the listing
Pick the 4-Point Program for yourself, or Family & Friends for a loved one, then read the listing for the day, time and how to join.
Open the SMART meeting finder
We don't copy meeting times onto this page. Listings change, and SMART keeps its finder current.
What happens at a SMART Recovery meeting?
A trained facilitator guides the group through a check-in, a discussion or a SMART tool, sharing solutions, and a check-out. Meetings typically last 90 minutes, with no breaks.
A typical meeting
- Check-in: how your past week has gone.
- Discussion or a SMART tool: worked through as a group.
- Sharing solutions: members help each other.
- Check-out: closing the meeting.
At a glance
SMART Recovery meetings in four facts
- FreeMeetings are completely free; donations are welcome
- 90 minA typical meeting, led by a trained facilitator, with no breaks
- In person or onlineMost online meetings run on Zoom, and the camera is optional
- Any behaviorAlcohol, drugs, gambling, tobacco, food and more, in one program
How is SMART Recovery different from AA and NA?
SMART teaches self-directed tools from cognitive behavioral therapy; AA and NA work the Twelve Steps, usually with a sponsor. SMART does not exclude them, and some people go to both.
| Topic | SMART Recovery | AA and NA |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Tools grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and non-confrontational motivational methods. | Working the Twelve Steps in a fellowship of peers. |
| Who it's for | Any addictive or problem behavior, in one program. | AA: anyone with a desire to stop drinking. NA: anyone with the desire to stop using drugs. |
| Higher power | Religious or spiritual practice is a personal choice and not part of the program. | AA's Steps 2 and 3 speak of "a Power greater than ourselves" and of God as each member understands God. |
| Between meetings | SMART's own tools, plus online meetings through the finder or the SMART Recovery app. | Usually a sponsor: a member who helps you work the Twelve Steps. |
| Cost | Meetings are completely free; donations are welcome. | AA has no dues or fees for membership; groups support themselves. |
Doing both. SMART says its approach differs from AA and NA in some ways but does not exclude them, and some participants attend both. How the 12-step programs work
Sources: SMART Recovery, About us and Meetings; Alcoholics Anonymous, The Twelve Steps and the A.A. Preamble; Narcotics Anonymous, Who are our members? and IP #11, Sponsorship.
Can you go to SMART Recovery while living in a sober home?
Yes. SMART groups meet in person and online, so they can fit around a resident's week, which includes evening treatment at a licensed outpatient program nearby.
- Evening treatmentAt an outside licensed program, on the schedule it sets. The house drives residents there and back.
- Getting to meetingsHouse rides are to evening treatment. Ask us about meetings.
- Online meetingsJoin from a phone or laptop; most run on Zoom, and the camera is optional.
- MedicationSMART supports legally prescribed addiction medication. The homes suit people taking MAT medications under outside psychiatric care.
- House rulesAll four homes run on the same written house rules, curfew included, gone through with you before move-in.
SMART Recovery Family & Friends: support for parents and partners
SMART Recovery Family & Friends meetings help people with a loved one in addiction build more effective coping strategies and communication skills. They are free, online and in person.
- Trained facilitators lead them, and many have lived through a family member's struggle themselves.
- Free worksheets from the Family & Friends handbook are on SMART's Family & Friends page.
Where to look
- In SMART's finderSet the "Program" menu to Family & Friends to see these meetings.
- Another optionWhat Al-Anon is and how it works
Questions about SMART Recovery meetings
The research is promising but limited. A 2018 study followed 647 adults with a lifetime alcohol use disorder for 12 months; its authors tentatively suggest SMART, LifeRing and Women for Sobriety are as effective as 12-step groups for them. A 2017 systematic review found 12 studies of SMART: it saw positive effects, but the modest samples and mixed methods kept it from firm conclusions about efficacy.
No. SMART says its meetings are completely free. You can donate to a meeting through the finder if you want to.
Yes. SMART says it supports legally prescribed psychiatric and addiction medication. Questions about your own medication belong with your prescriber.
Yes. SMART says its approach differs from AA and NA in some ways but does not exclude them, and some participants attend both. The comparison above sets the differences side by side.
No. SMART says its tools can help you whether or not you believe addiction is a disease.
Often, yes, with permission first. SMART asks professionals and students to email the meeting's facilitator before observing.
SMART's meeting finder lists in-person meetings in New Jersey towns; search your area to see the closest ones and their current times. Online meetings are another option from anywhere in the state. We don't list meetings here because listings change.
Looking for a sober place to live while you build your week around recovery? NJ Sober Living has four recovery homes in Bergen County.
Call (201) 231-1066Sources
- SMART Recovery, Meetings
- SMART Recovery, 4-Point Program
- SMART Recovery, Family & Friends
- SMART Recovery, About us
- SMART Recovery USA, meeting finder
- Alcoholics Anonymous, The Twelve Steps
- Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A. Preamble (SM F-92)
- Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Who are our members?
- Narcotics Anonymous World Services, IP #11, Sponsorship
- Zemore SE, Lui C, Mericle A, Hemberg J, Kaskutas LA. A longitudinal study of the comparative efficacy of Women for Sobriety, LifeRing, SMART Recovery, and 12-step groups for those with AUD. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2018;88:18-26
- Beck AK, Forbes E, Baker AL, et al. Systematic review of SMART Recovery: outcomes, process variables, and implications for research. Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(1):1-20
- Meeting finder and two New Jersey listings (Little Falls Township, Washington Township) checked on 24 October 2026; none copied here.
Reviewed against public records on 24 October 2026. NJ Sober Living is not affiliated with SMART Recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous.