Welcoming PAA's New Director of Career Affairs, Matthew Cairns

PAA is excited to welcome Matthew Cairns to the team as the new Director of Career Affairs. In this role, Matthew will focus on expanding professional development opportunities and enhancing benefits for all PAA members.

Matthew Cairns is a Registered Psychologist with a background in nonprofit leadership and community-based mental health. Before becoming a psychologist, Matthew started his career by supporting youth and families in school, addiction treatment, and community settings. After completing his Master of Counselling degree at Athabasca University, he began practicing as a psychologist, gaining experience supporting clients impacted by intergenerational trauma and intimate partner violence through the Hinton Friendship Centre’s Mamowichihitowin Program, as well as providing community mental health services with Recovery Alberta. Matthew also operates a small private practice based in Jasper, Alberta, where he lives. 

Throughout his career, Matthew has worked at the intersection of clinical practice, leadership, and community development, where strategy and compassion meet. This work has grounded him in the realities psychologists face, including increasing client complexity, professional isolation, systemic pressures, and the ongoing challenge of balancing empathy with sustainability. His experience as a rural practitioner provides a unique understanding of both the strengths and challenges of working as a psychologist in a rural community. 

Outside of his professional work, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, mountain biking, and baking sourdough bread. He is excited to step into the role of Director of Career Affairs and to support PAA’s work on behalf of psychologists across Alberta.