Mandatory License and Defined Powers for Practicing Psychotherapy
The Ministry of Health mandates that practitioners safeguard patient privacy and ensure comprehensive documentation of interviews, assessments, and treatment plans.
Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi has issued a comprehensive decision to regulate the licensing and practice of psychotherapy and psychological counseling in both the public and private sectors. The decision specifies professional titles, qualifications, authorities, training and experience requirements, and supervision standards, as well as guidelines for service delivery and the protection of client confidentiality, thereby ensuring safe practice and enhancing service quality.
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Decision No. 225 of 2026 prohibits the practice of psychotherapy or the provision of psychological counseling without a license from the Ministry of Health. It also forbids the use of titles such as "psychological therapist," "psychological specialist," or "psychological counselor" by unlicensed individuals, and defines the scope of practice for each title to prevent the overstepping of professional boundaries.
Defining Authorities
The decision, published yesterday in the official gazette "Kuwait Al-Yaum," stipulates that a "psychological specialist" is not permitted to conduct independent therapeutic sessions, formulate or modify treatment plans, or make independent diagnostic or therapeutic decisions. Such professionals must operate within defined authorities and under required supervision.
It mandates the referral of critical cases requiring medical intervention to the appropriate physician or hospital, including active suicidal ideation, severe agitation, and acute symptoms associated with psychoactive substance use.
Prescription of Medication
The decision prohibits unlicensed psychotherapists and psychological counselors from prescribing or dispensing medications and therapeutic supplements, or modifying medication plans. It also bans the administration of electroconvulsive therapy and neuromodulation techniques except by licensed specialists acting within their defined authorities.
The decision subjects titles and practices such as "Life Coach," self-development, emotional intelligence, and cognitive and behavioral organization to established regulations whenever the activity essentially involves intervention in psychological, behavioral, or emotional states and falls within the scope of psychological services. It prohibits promoting or providing psychological services under misleading titles or changing the name of an activity to circumvent licensing requirements.
Applied Behavior Analysis
The decision regulates the practice of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) by defining the titles "Senior Applied Behavior Analyst," "Applied Behavior Analyst," and "Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst," along with the required qualifications, training, supervision, and scope of practice for each title.
It requires clinical training, experience, and direct professional supervision, in addition to academic qualifications, to obtain various licenses and professional titles. It also mandates documented and appropriate training when providing psychological services to children, tailored to their specific needs.
Practitioners are required to document interviews, assessments, tests, scales, plans, therapeutic interventions, and case follow-ups in approved records. They must protect the confidentiality and privacy of clients and are prohibited from disclosing their psychological and health data, even after the termination of the professional relationship.
The decision also requires obtaining "informed consent" before initiating services and establishes guidelines for remote services, including verifying the beneficiary’s identity and handling emergency cases.
Senior Psychological Therapist
The decision requires the presence of a full-time "Senior Psychological Therapist" at the Psychological Counseling Complex to oversee the technical aspects of services. It stipulates that the area of an interview room must not be less than 9 square meters, with at least two rooms dedicated to service provision, ensuring appropriate privacy, ventilation, and lighting.
Surveillance cameras are restricted to waiting areas and corridors, with recordings retained for at least three months. Facilities are required to implement a system for psychological records and data protection, define access rights, and provide means for requesting immediate assistance within service delivery rooms.
Remote Services
The decree subjected remotely provided psychological services to specific regulations, ensuring beneficiary identity verification and data confidentiality, while establishing mechanisms to handle emergency cases that may require in-person or medical intervention. It granted existing offices and companies a six-month grace period to regularize their status in specified cases, while non-compliant facilities are required to cease providing psychological services until they obtain the necessary license. Additionally, practitioners in the public sector were given an 18-month period to align their practices with the new requirements.
Strict Regulations for Cosmetic Procedures
Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi issued Ministerial Decision No. (232) of 2026 concerning the amendment of the conditions and requirements for cosmetic procedures in both the public and private sectors, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework that defines the medical specialties authorized to perform cosmetic interventions and procedures, the levels of physicians permitted to practice them, alongside regulations governing liposuction, laser use, patient psychological assessment, and the protocol for managing complications arising from cosmetic surgeries.
● Specification of specialties and physician levels authorized to perform cosmetic procedures.
● A limit of 5 liters for liposuction in “same-day surgery,” with a mandatory 24-hour hospital stay.
● A 12-month accredited fellowship or five years of experience for advanced procedures.
● Laser treatments for nursing staff, subject to licensing, training, and medical supervision.
● A psychological report required for certain cases, valid for no more than three months.
● “Botox, fillers, laser, thread lifts, and hair transplantation” to be performed according to the physician’s specialty and qualifications.
