Path Mental Health is an online therapy platform that offers individual, couples, and family counseling that earned 3 out of 5 stars overall during our independent review. With Path, you can attend live 50-minute sessions via Zoom with a provider chosen from a curated list of licensed therapists in your state. Path Mental Health is only available in nine states, but they do accept several major insurance plans as well as self-pay clients starting at $120.
Rating of Path Mental Health’s Online Therapy
Over the past year, I have dedicated a considerable amount of time to researching, personally using, and reviewing online therapy platforms. Not only do I sign up for online therapy services and use their websites and apps, but I also attend live therapy sessions with each platform. I reach out to each online therapy platform before I begin researching and reviewing them to ask numerous questions about their products that users are likely to want answers to. All of this is done to ensure that consumers get the information they need to make intelligent purchases. During our independent review, Path earned 3 out of 5 stars overall, performing best in the categories of clientele served, online therapy cost, and therapist specialties. However, Path underperformed in the categories of geographic location and extra features & resources compared to its competitors.
Pros & Cons of Path Mental Health
Path Mental Health is a fairly easy online therapy platform for individuals (5+), couples, and families. Path accepts several major insurance plans and there is a self-pay option available. However, Path is only available in nine states, they do not offer psychiatric services, and the two patient portals can be confusing to navigate.
How to Sign Up with Path Mental Health
To sign up for individual, couples or family therapy, please visit the Path Mental Health website.
What is Path Mental Health?
Path Mental Health is an online therapy platform that offers per-session rates for individuals, couples, and families. With Path, you are able to choose your provider from a curated list of licensed therapists in your state. All live sessions are 50 minutes long and held via Zoom. Path costs start at $120 out-of-pocket and they accept several major insurance plans.
Path is only available in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
Much like Thriveworks, there are two patient portals you must navigate, the Path website and the AdvancedMD/AdvancedTelemedicine website that uses Zoom. It’s important to note that if you have previously used AdvancedMD to attend online therapy sessions with another company, you will need to set up or use a different email address. AdvancedMD will not allow you to use your email address for more than one account, which is a reasonable expectation, but surprising to learn nonetheless.
A great aspect of Path is that you can self-select a therapist from a list they provide to you. You will be able to read therapists’ profiles before you select one for a live session.. Each profile will tell you the therapist’s professional background, which patients they are accepting, their therapy approach, and their focus areas. Unfortunately, there is no directory to browse prior to signing up and Path’s website says the list they provide you with is based on the answers you give during the sign-up process. However, there are no true onboarding questions and you simply provide basic information about yourself.
Unlike subscription-based online therapy services like BetterHelp or Calmerry, there is no way to email or message your therapist from the website. However, during your first therapy session, your therapist will share with you a HIPAA-compliant email address in case you need to reach out to them. Path also does not offer extra features, like a journal or online worksheets, to clients at this time.
Path Mental Health Family Therapy
A unique offering from Path Mental Health is their family therapy option. Not all online therapy platforms offer this, with most platforms focusing on individual and couples therapy. Family therapy with Path costs $135 per session out-of-pocket and with several insurance plans accepted as well. To find out more about how family therapy works, you can visit the Path Mental Health website.
Who Is Path Mental Health Right For?
Path would be a good fit for those already familiar with how online therapy works, as well as couples and families.
Already Familiar with Online Therapy
Path Mental Health may be a better choice for those who are already familiar with how online therapy platforms work. Some per-session therapy platforms work very differently than subscription-based online therapy platforms and those brand new to the process may find themselves easily frustrated. However, if you are currently using an online therapy platform but looking to make a switch, Path may be a good choice for you.
Couples
Path offers couples therapy for $135 per session, which is a reasonable price compared to in-person therapy sessions. In-person couples counseling costs can range from $75 – $250 depending on your location, therapist credentials, and more. Many insurance companies do not cover couples counseling, which means finding an affordable option for you and your spouse is key. Path offers a fair price combined with the convenience of attending sessions online.
Families
Path offers family therapy for $135 per session and would be a convenient way to start a family therapy journey. Attending family therapy online would allow all members of the family to find sessions that work with their schedules, cut down on travel time, and help families work on their struggles together. Some insurance companies do cover family therapy, so the cost per session may be lower depending on if Path accepts your insurance plan.
Who Might Want an Alternative to Path Mental Health?
While Path may be a great choice for some, there are others that will need to seek care elsewhere. Those who are brand new to therapy, don’t live in the covered geographic locations, and those seeking medication management will need to seek an alternative to Path Mental Health.
You’re Brand New to Therapy
Path Mental Health can be somewhat difficult to navigate and may frustrate those brand new to online therapy platforms. Starting therapy should be as easy and uncomplicated a process as possible and Path doesn’t quite fit the bill. Those brand new to therapy may best be served by large and established subscription-based online therapy brands like BetterHelp or Talkspace. BetterHelp and Talkspace have simplified onboarding processes making it easier to connect with a licensed therapist and schedule your first session.
To learn more about how these subscription-based therapy options work, please read our in-depth Talkspace review or our BetterHelp review.
Outside Path’s Geographic Locations
At this time, Path Mental Health is only available in the following nine states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia. If you are seeking a per-session online therapy platform a great alternative to Path would be Amwell or MDLive. Both platforms offer a wide range of therapy options and they both accept insurance as well as self-pay clients.
To learn more about what these telemedicine platforms offer, you can read our comprehensive Amwell review or MDLive review.
Those Seeking Medication Management Only
At this time, Path does not offer medication management. For those wishing to seek an affordable online medication management option, Cerebral and Brightside are both great subscription-based options. With either Cerebral or Brightside, you can sign up for a medication-only subscription that virtually connects you with a prescriber, as well as access to extra features in their apps.
To learn all about what these subscription-based services offer, you can read our in-depth review of Cerebral or our Brightside review.
Path Mental Health User Reviews
Path Mental Health does not currently have an app and finding user reviews for this platform was difficult. We were able to find a Reddit thread about Path and users had mixed opinions about the platform overall.
One of the main issues people discussed in this Reddit thread was how they would sign up for a therapy session and the therapist would not show up or would cancel at the last minute. I did not have this issue and my therapist arrived on time for our session. My therapist did encourage me to either email them directly with concerns or to email customer service. For those experiencing issues connecting with their therapist, you can call customer service at (323)977-7284 or email them at [email protected].
How Much Does Path Mental Health Cost?
Path Mental Health costs $120 for an individual therapy session and $135 for a family or couples therapy session. All sessions are approximately 50 minutes long and you will need to download Zoom prior to your session. If Path accepts your health insurance, your costs will be whatever your co-pay is for therapy.
Does Path Mental Health Accept Insurance?
Yes, Path Mental Health accepts insurance for therapy. Currently, Path accepts Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Optum, Oscar, and United Healthcare. When you sign up with Path, they perform a benefits check on your behalf and provide you with an estimate of what your costs may be.
Out-of-Network Benefits
Path can provide you with an itemized receipt, commonly referred to as a superbill, for you to submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement
How to Attend Therapy With Path Mental Health
Attending your first therapy session with Path requires several steps and two patient portals. You will sign up first on the main Path website and then create a second account on the AdvancedMD platform. By following the steps below, you will be able to navigate this process with ease.
- Go to the Path Mental Health website and click “find a match”
- Enter your date of birth, your location, select your insurance or out-of-pocket, and which type of therapy you are seeking
- Enter your name, email address, and phone number
- Browse therapists and read through therapist profiles
- Choose a date and time to meet with your therapist
- Fill out the patient details, like name, phone number, and enter your payment information
- Use the link emailed to you and log in for your session
- Confirm your payment and wait for Path to email you the patient forms
- Create an account with the second patient portal and fill out all of the patient forms
- On the day of your appointment, simply click the Zoom link sent to your email when it is time for your appointment
Path Mental Health Online Therapy: Detailed Review
Path Mental Health offers individual, couples, and family therapy through 50-minute Zoom sessions. Individual therapy costs $120 out-of-pocket, with couples and family therapy costing $135. Path does accept insurance, so these costs may be lower if you are in-network with them.
What Is Therapy Like on Path?
Getting started with Path was fairly straightforward, however many of the links the company sent me were very time sensitive. I had to email them several times to resend links to browse for a therapist and to sign my patient forms. Once the link was present, I was able to find and connect to a therapist very quickly. I was provided a list of therapists with availability as soon as the next day.
Much like Thriveworks, there are two patient portals to navigate which does not strike me as very user-friendly. Path Mental Health uses AdvancedMD as their second patient portal, which complicated this process for me personally. Thriveworks also uses this platform and I had already created an account with them. This meant that I needed to utilize a second email address in order to sign up fully with Path. In hindsight, it makes sense that you can only use one email address on AdvancedMD but it was definitely frustrating to troubleshoot in the moment.
The day before my therapy session, I was emailed a Zoom link and at the time of my appointment, I simply clicked that link and was sent to my private Zoom meeting. It was a very easy process and I had no issues getting into my live session. My therapist was on time and the video and audio quality was great. After about 20 minutes, the therapist I chose made me feel comfortable, safe, and heard. At the end of our session, they gave me reasonable homework to complete independently and we were able to schedule my next session while on the call. For the first time since beginning therapy platform reviews, I feel like I found a therapist I genuinely am looking forward to seeing again.
There are no extra perks or features to Path and it is barebones compared to platforms like BetterHelp, Cerebral, or Thriveworks. The main website doesn’t have any articles to read or anything interesting about it. This is purely a platform for people to attend therapy sessions, which is great if all you want is to focus on care and not a lot of extras.
Path Mental Health Vs Competitors
Path Mental Health has some great perks to be aware of, but other companies like Thriveworks or Lifestance may be an even better option for those seeking affordable online or in-person mental health services.
Path Mental Health Vs Thriveworks
Path and Thriveworks are actually quite similar, with both platforms using two patient portals and hosting live therapy sessions via Zoom. Both Path and Thriveworks accept many major health insurance plans, create superbills, and allow for the use of FSA/HSA funds to pay for the cost of therapy.
While Thriveworks is available in more states than Path, the cost for therapy is higher with Thriveworks. Additionally, there is a monthly membership fee on top of what you pay for therapy, which may be a deterrent for some. There are no monthly membership fees with Path and the cost for therapy is about $80 cheaper per session than Thriveworks.
To learn more about how their platform works and extra features they offer, you can read our comprehensive Thriveworks review.
Path Mental Health Vs Lifestance
Path Mental Health and Lifestance are very similar platforms that offer online therapy to kids and teens, individuals, couples, and families. Both Path and Lifestance accept many major insurance plans and self-pay clients. Path does not have a provider directory for you to look at prior to signing up, but Lifestance does allow you to view providers by state.
Whereas Path is only available in nine states, Lifestance is available in the following 32 states: AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, ME, MD, MASS, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, & WI.
How Path Mental Health Has Evolved
Path was founded by Josh Bruno, Gabriel Diop, and Greg Moore in 2019.1 At the time it first launched, Path was a platform that gave employee health benefit programs access to specialized substance addiction treatment professionals.2 It is not clear when the company pivoted to offering online therapy to individuals, couples, and families.
I reached out to Path prior to writing this review and was told someone might be in touch with me. Unfortunately, I did not hear back from anyone at the company before we published this article.
Frequently Asked Questions About Path Mental Health
What Credentials Do Path Therapists Hold?
All therapists on Path Mental Health currently have an LPCC, LPC, LISW, LPCC-S, LISW-S, LCPC, LMFT, LCSW, LP or LCMHC license in the state they practice.
How Do I Choose a Therapist?
With Path, you will select your therapist from a list provided to you. You will be able to read the profiles of several therapists and choose the one you feel is best suited to your needs.
Can I Change Therapists?
It is unclear how you choose a new therapist. The best option would be to email your therapist directly or email customer service at: [email protected].
Can I use my FSA or HSA Funds?
Yes, you can use your FSA or HSA funds to pay for therapy. To do this, you will simply input your card information as the payment method on file.
How Do I Cancel My Path Mental Health Account?
Path is a per session platform and if you no longer wish to use them, you can simply tell your therapist you do not want to schedule with them further. If you want to cancel your therapy session, you can call them at (323) 205-7088 or email them [email protected].
Does Path Mental Health Offer Refunds?
It was unclear whether or not Path would offer refunds to clients who were dissatisfied with their care. We reached out to the company directly asking to be put in touch with someone who could answer questions about the platform and never received a response.
Is Path Mental Health a HIPAA-Compliant Platform?
Yes, Path Mental Health is HIPAA compliant and uses AdvancedMD and Zoom to conduct its live therapy sessions. All therapists will provide their clients with a HIPAA-compliant email address to reach them if needed.
For more information, you can read Path’s Terms of Use or Path’s Privacy Policy.
Final Verdict on Path Mental Health
Path Mental Health was not the easiest platform to get started with due to the time-sensitive links. On multiple occasions, I had to email customer service in order to have a new link provided to find a therapist or to fill out patient forms. Additionally, Path uses AdvancedMD which runs its HIPAA-compliant Zoom sessions. If you have signed up for online therapy with another company that uses AdvancedMD, you will need to use a different email address.
Despite how frustrated I was with the signup process and the platform receiving a 3 out of 5-star rating, I was able to find a really great therapist. They were smart, calm, and created a safe environment for me to share. It is hard to make a strong connection to a therapist in one session, but I felt one with my therapist and did not hesitate to schedule another session. Overall, if you are looking to use your insurance, and the services are available in your state, Path Mental Health is worth looking into.
Summary Table of What Path Mental Health Offers
| Cost of Online Therapy | $120 for Individuals $135 for couples or families |
| Geographic Coverage | California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia |
| Age Limitations | Depends on provider |
| Provider Choices | Self Select |
| Can You Change Therapists? | Yes, contact customer service |
| Speed to First Appointment | 4-5 days |
| Frequency of Appointments | Depends on the provider |
| Messaging Therapist Between Appointments | Email Only |
| Online Psychiatry Offered | No |
