Kuwait Bans Spiritual Healing Under New Law

Kuwait has enacted fresh regulations overseeing psychotherapy, outlawing numerous practices deemed unsupported by scientific evidence. Ministerial Decision No. 225 of 2026 outlines licensing prerequisites for practitioners in both public and private sectors, introducing additional patient protections. Practitioners are barred from offering or endorsing treatments lacking a scientifically validated foundation.

Among the prohibited methods are Reiki, energy healing, spiritual healing, pranic healing, astral projection, cosmic healing, "star seeds," crystal therapy, law-of-attraction treatments, chakra and aura practices, and false hypnosis. The regulations also restrict neurolinguistic programming, pseudo therapies, unsupported therapeutic claims, color therapy, sound-vibration treatments, and psychological relaxation techniques lacking scientific backing.

Life coaching and self-improvement services are permissible only within a certified professional licensing system. The decree establishes professional titles, such as senior psychotherapist, psychotherapist, psychologist, and applied behavior analyst, with applicants needing recognized academic credentials, foreign degree equivalency, in-person education, and supervised clinical practice.

Additionally, they must log a certain number of in-person therapy sessions in licensed healthcare settings before obtaining a professional license.