Headway has had a rough fall. In October it announced a $9.99 fee on marketplace sessions, then sent therapists a new provider agreement with a clause about using our “name, likeness, image, voice,” and paused that agreement the very next day after the backlash.
I have used Headway myself, so I want to share what changed, what it means for your practice, and the bigger issue most of the coverage is missing.
Why I Used Headway (and Why Many of Us Did)
For me, Headway felt like a convenient alternative. I didn’t want to go through the credentialing process, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be approved to be in network because I had already been denied by Cigna. Headway let me bill insurance without fighting for a contract on my own.
A lot of therapists, especially social workers building their first private practice, came to Headway for the same reason. And that convenience is exactly why these changes deserve a closer look.
What Changed: Headway’s $9.99 Marketplace Fee
According to Headway’s announcement and coverage from Behavioral Health Business and other outlets:
- The fee is $9.99 per session, and it is deducted from the therapist’s payout, not charged to clients.
- It applies to clients Headway connects you with, including through its marketplace, ads, booking team, health plan and health system partners, and AI integrations.
- It recurs. The fee applies for as long as you see that client, not only the first session.
- It applies to insurance and private pay sessions booked through the marketplace.
- Some clients are exempt, including clients you add yourself, clients who book through your own Headway link (for example from your website or Psychology Today) and clients you were already seeing before your state’s start date.
When it starts: early reports said October 8 in five states, and later reporting describes a state-by-state rollout starting in November with email and in-app notice. Check the banner in your own Headway account for your state’s date.
What $9.99 a Session Really Costs
If 15 of your weekly sessions come from Headway’s marketplace, that’s about $150 a week, or roughly $7,500 a year, coming out of your pay. Run your own numbers before you decide anything.
What Changed: The Provider Agreement and “Likeness” Clause
On October 15, Headway sent providers a new agreement. As reported by ClearHealthCosts and others, one section would have given Headway a “perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, and irrevocable” right to use provider content, including “the Provider’s name, likeness, image, voice,” with no additional compensation.
The next day, Headway’s CEO paused the agreement and said the language “was very reasonably interpreted in ways we never intended.” Headway said a revised agreement will come later. As of early November, it had not been released.
Two important clarifications:
- It was a provider agreement, not Headway’s general terms of service, and it is not in effect right now.
- The clause did not mention AI. The fear of an “AI version” of yourself came from therapists reading the broad language. That fear was reasonable, which is why the wording matters when the new version comes out.
The Bigger Issue: Convenience vs. Control
Here is what I didn’t realize when I joined. Getting paneled on our own as independent providers has become harder, and I have come to believe that large platforms are part of the reason. When a platform holds the insurance contracts for tens of thousands of therapists, we stop negotiating our own rates and our own terms.
We think they’re giving us a convenient way to run our business. But the dynamic can lock us in. The platform keeps control of the contracts, the rates and the rules, and our ability to advocate for ourselves shrinks. In practice, we can start to function like their employees, without the protections of being employees.
That doesn’t mean platforms are always the wrong choice. It means you should use them on purpose, with a plan, instead of building your whole practice on someone else’s terms.
Your Options If You Use Headway
1. Stay, but Turn Off the Marketplace
You can stop appearing in Headway’s marketplace in your settings and keep getting clients through your own link, which is exempt from the fee. This only affects new referrals going forward.
2. Get Credentialed Directly With Insurance
Owning your own contracts gives you control of your rates and terms. Credentialing often takes 90 to 120 days, so start before you make any changes. If you were denied before, like I was by Cigna, apply again, try other payers and ask whether any panels are open for your specialty or area.
I walk through setting up your NPI and CAQH profile, the first steps to getting credentialed, in this video:
3. Build Private Pay
Private pay removes the middleman completely, but it requires marketing, clear pricing and a plan for clients who can’t afford full fees, such as a sliding scale or superbills.
The fastest way to fill a private pay practice is a clear niche, so the right clients can find you and know you’re for them. My Nail Your Niche Formula walks you through choosing yours.
4. Compare Other Platforms Carefully
Therapists are also looking at Alma, Grow Therapy and Rula. Read every agreement closely, especially the rules on fees, content rights, non-solicitation and taking clients with you if you leave.
What to Do This Week
- Check your Headway account for your state’s fee start date.
- Count how many of your clients came from the marketplace and calculate your yearly fee.
- Read the revised provider agreement carefully when it arrives, especially the content rights and arbitration sections.
- Start a credentialing application with at least one payer so you have options.
- Build one marketing channel you own, such as your website, email list or YouTube, so referrals come to you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays Headway’s $9.99 fee?
The therapist. It comes out of your payout, and Headway says clients don’t pay more.
Can I avoid the Headway fee?
Clients you bring in yourself or who book through your direct Headway link are exempt. You can also turn off marketplace visibility to stop new fee-bearing referrals.
Did Headway’s terms let it use my likeness?
A proposed provider agreement sent October 15 included broad rights to providers’ name, likeness, image and voice. Headway paused it the next day, so it is not in effect. Watch for the revised version.
Should I leave Headway?
It depends on how many clients come from the marketplace and what other options you have. Many therapists start credentialing directly and building private pay before they make a change.
Build a Practice You Control
I built my private practice to six figures in two years by knowing exactly where my clients and my revenue came from. My 6-Figure Private Practice Blueprint shows you how to plan your caseload and revenue, and my private practice templates are the same forms I used when I opened my practice. If you want one-on-one help building referral sources you own, book a Six-Figure Career Strategy Call. You can also read my guides on starting a mental health private practice and becoming an EAP provider.
This post reflects publicly reported information as of November 2026. Headway’s terms and fees may change, so confirm details in your own account.
