Kazakhstan to ban unqualified psychology practitioners under new law
Kazakh Majilis Deputy Askhat Aimagambetov outlined the core provisions of the new Law on Psychological Activities. After being approved by the Senate earlier today, the law now awaits the president's signature, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In a post on Telegram, Aimagambetov said the newly passed law will regulate the mental health profession and safeguard the public from unqualified practitioners.
Only specialists with relevant degrees who are listed in the state registry can now use the title of psychologist. Anyone can verify a practitioner's credentials via a centralized database, he wrote.
The law bans unqualified individuals from using titles like psychologist, psycho-consultant, or psycho-coach in marketing and practice. Under the new rules, practitioners must display their educational background and official registry numbers on social media. Additionally, the legislation penalizes deceptive advertising and prohibited guarantees of specific outcomes.
According to the deputy, the provision of psychological assistance for depression, psychological trauma, and anxiety disorders will be available only to qualified specialists.
The document explicitly outlines the distinct scopes of practice for psychologists and physicians. Psychologists are not authorized to issue medical diagnoses or prescribe medications, and must redirect clients to psychiatrists for medical intervention when necessary.
The law also introduces privacy guarantees, prohibiting from publishing a client’s story, as well as conducting photo, video, and audio recordings of consultations.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan is to launch the national psychologists’ association.