Open Path Anger Management Review 2024: Pros & Cons, Cost, & How It Works

Open Path Review – Key Takeaways

• A $4.99 registration fee gives you access to all of their court-mandated programs and personal wellness classes.
• The cost of certificates of completion will depend on the number of credit hours. (for example, a 4-hour certificate costs $17, and a 52-hour certificate costs $115)
• Verification of enrollment letters are available after you pay the registration fee.
• Open Path’s online wellness education platform is connected to Open Path Collective – which is their non-profit psychotherapy network. You can choose to work with a licensed therapist while you’re taking your anger class. Online therapy costs with Open Path run between $40-$70 a session.
• You must pass a quiz with a score of 80% or higher at the end of each lesson to unlock the subsequent lesson. You can take each quiz as many times as necessary to pass.

What Is Open Path?

Open Path is an online wellness education platform that offers anger management classes for legal requirements or personal development. Users pay $4.99 for access to every course and only pay an additional fee for certificates of completion. Costs for certificates of completion will vary according to the number of credit hours.

Open Path is available in all 50 states and provides several credit-hour anger management classes, ranging from 4-hour to 52-hour programs. In addition to anger management, they also offer other court-ordered classes, like domestic violence, divorce, and alcohol and drug abuse classes. Users also gain access to personal wellness classes that teach various skills, like mindfulness, communication techniques, and how to reduce anxiety and depression.

Upon registration, you’ll gain access to the course dashboard, where you’ll be able to select your chosen anger management class. If you need a verification of enrollment to send to your employer, probation officer, or the courts, you can have one emailed or printed at no extra cost. All of Open Path’s courses are self-paced, which means you will not have an instructor or a live lesson schedule. You’ll be able to log into the platform and take the courses at your convenience from any web browser.

Open Path’s anger management class is broken down into 52 lessons, with each lesson equaling 1 credit hour. Each lesson includes reading materials, exercises, and a quiz at the end. You must pass the quiz in order to unlock the next lesson. You can take the quiz at your convenience and as many times as necessary to pass with a score of 80% or above.

Who Is Open Path Right For?

Open Path’s educational platform is a great choice for anyone who is on a budget and those who may be interested in other wellness classes or therapy.

Those on a Budget

If you’re looking for an anger management class due to legal reasons, you’re probably already facing a plethora of court fees and unexpected charges, which can easily cause financial strain. With Open Path, a $4.99 registration fee gives you access to anger management and all of its other courses. You only have to pay for the certificate of completion at the end (costs ranging from $17 – $115, depending on your credit hour requirements).

You’re Interested in Additional Wellness Classes

Even if you only came to Open Path’s platform to take a court-ordered anger management class, you gain access to courses that cover some noteworthy personal development topics. Some of the wellness classes offered include Communication Skills, Relationships 101, Social Media Mindfulness, Nutrition, and Study Skills. These additional classes are a significant bonus for such a low registration fee.

You’re Interested in Attending Therapy Alongside Your Anger Class

Open Path Collective is a large non-profit organization that offers both online learning and mental health services. This means you can register to take an anger management course and connect with a therapist within the same platform. While you’re completing your class, you can schedule time with a licensed therapist to discuss thoughts, behaviors, or triggers that may be contributing to your anger.

Who May Want an Alternative to Open Path?

You may want an alternative to Open Path if you’re looking to interact with a professional anger management instructor or if you struggle with online self-paced lessons.

You Want to Work with an Instructor

Live instruction can offer a lot of benefits for those participating in distance-learning programs. If you absorb information better when working with an instructor, you may want to seek an alternative option. The Anger Coach may be a better choice because it includes online Zoom lectures with Dr. Fiore, the co-author of Anger Management For the Twenty-first Century.

You Struggle with Distance-Learning

Remote learning isn’t for everyone. It can require a lot of discipline and time management to complete an online course. While Open Path has some excellent course content at an affordable price, you may want to consider in-person anger management courses where you can sit in on live lectures with other students. Check your local listings or ask a court administrator about cohort anger management classes in your area.

Participant Reviews and Testimonials

I could only find user reviews of Open Path’s anger management program on their website. While these reviews can help us identify trending opinions or key features, remember that they’re likely hand-selected by the company and project a bias towards positive comments. With that in mind, I did see that many reviewers mentioned learning effective anger-controlling tools and appreciation for the affordable price tag.

Effective Anger Management Tools

Open Path reviewers stated that they were grateful for learning anger management tools and strategies that could be used in the real world. The effectiveness of the program was evident in their everyday activities and interactions. Some stated that family, friends, and co-workers noticed a significant difference in their behavior.

Affordability

Open Path allows users to access so many amazing resources for anger management and other subjects for $4.99. One of the reviewers stated that they were homeless, others were struggling financially, and Open Path was the only program they could afford.

How Much Does Open Path Cost?

Open Path charges a one-time $4.99 registration fee; you then gain access to their anger management course, as well as several other courses. You only pay an additional cost for a certificate of completion.

Cost of Certificate of Completion with Open Path

Certificates of completion are available once you’re finished with the course. The cost is reflective of the credit hours:

How to Get Started with Open Path

It’s incredibly easy to get started with Open Path. Follow the steps below to get started with your first anger management lesson.

1. Visit the Open Path Wellness Education website.
2. Scroll down to find the Anger Management Course option
3. Click on ‘Learn More’
4. Click on ‘Join Today’
5. Enter your contact information and payment
6. Gain access to the members’ dashboard and begin your first anger management lesson

Open Path: Detailed Review

Open Path is an online wellness education platform that provides anger management and dozens of other court-mandated and personal wellness classes. You can access all of Open Path’s courses for a one-time $4.99 registration fee, and you can purchase a certificate of completion for an additional fee upon passing the class.

Open Path Anger Management Content

Open Path offers a well-designed remote learning platform that’s easy to follow. Each lesson focuses on a specific area of anger management, including Expressions of Anger, Recognizing Anger, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, and Assertive Communication. Open Path’s course curriculum was designed by mental health professionals with strong backgrounds in anger management, conflict resolution, and positive communication.

The lessons include reading materials, real-life scenarios, exercises, and a quiz at the end. I thought the information, examples, and exercises were presented clearly, and the quizzes were a direct reflection of the course material. For example, one lesson on Expressions of Anger included valuable readings on unhealthy and healthy expressions of anger, and offered tips on how to work with this emotion in a positive way.

They offered examples of individuals expressing anger in both healthy and unhealthy ways, and examined consequences of these thoughts and behaviors. The lesson ended with a reflective exercise on past experiences with anger and aggression, and a quiz to ensure that participants grasped the information correctly.

Open Path Vs. Competitors

Open Path is a terrific option for taking online anger management classes, but it’s not the only option out there. Below you’ll find comparative summaries of Open Path and its top competitors.

Open Path Vs. Anger Class Online

Anger Class Online and Open Path both offer multiple credit-hour anger management courses for those who are required to take the class for legal, professional, or personal reasons. Both companies offer enrollment verifications and certificates of completion, and you can complete the courses at your own pace from any web browser.

The main difference between the two companies is price. Anger Class Online costs range between $95 for a 4-hour class to $995 for a 52-hour class. That’s a significant hike from Open Path’s one-time $4.99 registration fee and cost of certificates of completion (e.g., 4-hour certificates start at $17). In addition, Open Path gives you access to all of their courses for $4.99, while Anger Class Online only provides anger management classes and assessments.

To learn more about this program, check out our in-depth review of Anger Class Online.

Open Path Vs. The Anger Coach

The Anger Coach and Open Path are both amazing options for required or voluntary participation in anger management classes. The Anger Coach is run by Dr. Tony Fiore, who co-wrote the book Anger Management for the Twenty-first Century, which is used as the cornerstone of the curriculum for The Anger Coach’s classes, as well as Anger Class Online mentioned above. The Anger Coach offers two options: a 10-hour anger class costing $49.95 and a 16-hour anger class costing $69.95.

In addition to the self-paced online anger classes, The Anger Coach also offers live anger management classes, marriage and couples therapy, and discernment counseling with Dr. Fiore, which is great for those who would like to attend therapy while they’re taking an anger management class. While Open Path provides access to various courses covering a wide range of topics, The Anger Coach focuses primarily on anger and relationships.

Final Verdict

Open Path isn’t only an incredible resource for anyone required to take anger management classes, it’s also a comprehensive educational platform that provides several online classes at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend Open Path as a first choice for anyone needing to fulfill anger management requirements due to its low fees, well-designed platform, and high-quality content.

How Has Open Path Evolved?

Open Path is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2012 in North Carolina by Paul Fugelsang and launched in the spring of 2013. Open Path has two key entities: its Online Wellness Education platform and Psychotherapy Collective. The Online Wellness Education platform is where you’ll find all of their court-mandated and personal wellness classes, and the Psychotherapy Collective is their therapist directory.

As a full-time therapist with a private practice, Fuglesang realized he was running out of referral sources for clients who could not afford therapy. Fuglesangs’s mission became delivering mental health services and education to the masses at lower prices. As of today, the Open Path Online Wellness Education platform has had over 58,000 students enroll for classes.¹

Frequently Asked Questions About Open Path 

Can This Class be a Substitute for Anger Therapy or Counseling? 

No, Open Path’s anger management classes should not be a substitute for therapy or counseling. 

How Long Do I Have to Complete the Program?

There is no time limit on Open Path’s anger classes. You can choose to finish the classes over a few days, weeks, or several months if you’d like. 

How Do I Access the Classes? 

At registration, you’ll create a username and password that gives you access to the Open Path platform. You can log in and access your anger classes from any web browser or mobile device. 

How Do I Get a Certificate of Completion? How Long Does it Take to Receive One?

Once you complete the course, you can instantly download a digital version of your certificate of completion upon payment, and an official copy can be mailed to you in a few business days. 

Will I Work With an Instructor or Is this a Self-Paced Learning? 

Open Path only offers self-paced learning, there is no instructor or live classes. 

How Long Does it Take to Complete Each of the Individual Classes? 

Each participant finishes the course at their own pace. Those who are familiar with taking online classes and the topic might move quickly through the course, while others may require more time. 

Are There Tests? What if I Don’t Pass? 

There are quizzes at the end of every lesson. You must pass the quiz with a score of 80% or higher to unlock the next lesson. You can take the quiz as many times as necessary to achieve a passing score. 

Does Open Path Offer Refunds?

If you are not satisfied, Open Path offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for the $4.99 registration fee. They only offer refunds for payments of certificates of completion if a court refuses to accept their program. In these cases, a judge, probation officer, lawyer, or another judicial authority must contact Open Path directly for you to receive your refund. To learn more, you can check out Open Path’s Privacy Policy and terms of use