Verifying your identity as a Headway client

Identity verification is a step Headway uses to confirm that you are who you say you are before receiving care. During the process, you'll take a photo of a government-issued photo ID and complete a brief facial scan — all within your Headway account. The entire process typically takes 2–3 minutes.

Identity verification is currently required for clients who see a prescriber on Headway. It is a one-time process — once verified, you won't need to do it again until the ID you used to verify expires.

If you only see a talk therapist on Headway, identity verification is not currently required for you.

Why we do this

Telehealth fraud is a documented and growing problem, including people accessing care or seeking prescriptions under someone else's identity. Headway is acting before a regulatory requirement or potential adverse event that might otherwise cause this process to be rushed.

It also protects you personally: once you're verified, your identity is secured on the platform — care, prescriptions, and billing are tied to you and only you. No one else can use your account to seek medications or rack up charges in your name, and you have a tamper-proof record confirming that everything on your account is yours.

Identity verification must be completed by you personally. For minors, a parent or legal guardian completes the process on the client's behalf.

How it works

What you’ll need

Before starting, have the following ready:

• A supported government-issued photo ID (see list below)
• A device with a working camera (smartphone recommended)
• 2 - 3 minutes in a well-lit location
   

Accepted forms of identification

• U.S. Driver's License
• U.S. Passport
• U.S. Passport Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

When you’ll be asked to verify your identity

If you’re a new client booking with a prescriber

• You may be prompted to verify your identity when you set-up your account and/or while booking your session.
• You'll receive email reminders letting you know that identity verification is required before your appointment.
  • If you booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete before your provider's cancellation window, or your appointment will be automatically canceled. You'll be able to rebook once verification is complete.
  • If your provider booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete for your provider to confirm the session.
     

If you’re an existing client who is seeing a prescriber

• You'll receive an email letting you know that identity verification is now required for your account, and see a notification in your patient portal.
• Your provider may also reach out to you directly to remind you, if needed.
  • If you booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete before your provider's cancellation window, or your appointment may be automatically canceled.
  • If your provider booked the appointment: identity verification must be complete for your provider to confirm the session. Your provider can also walk you through the process during your session if needed.

If you've completed identity verification before

Identity verification is a one-time process, valid until the ID you use to verify expires. If your ID has expired or if you're prompted to re-verify, please complete the steps again.

If you try to book an appointment within your provider's cancellation window before completing identity verification, you'll need to complete verification first.

Verification steps

Once you start identity verification, you’ll be guided through the process:

1. Select the country that your ID is from
2. Take a photo of the front of your ID
3. Take a photo of the back of your ID

4. Complete a brief facial scan — you'll move your head side to side. This confirms a real person is completing the verification, not someone using an AI filter or deepfake tool. 

   Headway never uses this image for anything other than identity verification.

   Running into an issue? See troubleshooting steps below.

5. Once your ID is successfully uploaded, you may be asked to provide a few additional details

That's it — identity verification is complete. You won't need to do it again until the ID you used to verify expires, and it applies across all prescribers you see on Headway.

Errors and troubleshooting

The following issues may prevent your verification from completing. All of these can be corrected and resubmitted – you have up to 5 attempts before you'll need to contact our support team for assistance. 

Troubleshooting

Issue: ID upload keeps failing, but I believe it’s valid.

• Use a mobile device, if possible. Smartphone cameras typically produce better image quality than laptop webcams. 
• Check your lighting. Find a well-lit area and make sure there’s no glare on the ID when you take the photo. Place your ID on a dark background. We’ve found that natural light works best. 
• Clean your camera lens. A smudged lens is a common cause of blurry submissions. 
• Keep the ID flat and fully in frame. Make sure the edges aren’t cropped out. Place the ID on a dark, non-reflective surface. 
• Confirm your ID type. Make sure you’re submitting an accepted ID type.
  Try the “use another device” option. If you’re on a laptop or desktop device, use the hand-off feature to take photos on your phone instead.
   

Issue: I completed verification, but my account still shows “unverified”. 

Try the following before contacting support: 

• Verification results are typically processed within a few minutes. If your status hasn't updated after 30 minutes:
  • Log out and back in to refresh your account status.
  • If the issue persists, contact Headway Support through your patient portal.
     

Issue: My appointment was canceled because of identity verification.

Try the following before contacting support:

• If your appointment was automatically canceled because verification wasn't completed in time:
  • Complete identity verification through your patient portal.
  • Once verified, you'll be able to rebook with your provider.
• Your provider will be notified of the cancellation and can help you reschedule.
   

Issue: I don’t have any of the accepted IDs. 

If you are an adult client and don't have a supported form of government-issued ID, please contact Headway support for assistance. Our team will work with you on next steps.