Darin Cairns

Darin Cairns Clinical Psychologist | Clinic Director

Darin Cairns has over 20 years experience in treating children, adults and families for a range of psychological disorders. He has specialised in emotional, neurological and developmental disorders. Clinically, Darin has expertise in child, adolescent, family therapy and developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders. He also has extensive experience in adult mental health and working with high conflict families where coercive dynamics are present.   He is regularly sought out as a Single Expert Witness for the Family Court and Children’s Court of Western Australia as well as the Department of Child Protection and Communities.  The Education Department of WA also seeks him out for consultations and support with complex matters requiring advanced staff training and support on a regular basis.  He has supervised many psychologists who have gone on to open their own clinics or now provide consultation in their own specialities at the Charles St Clinic.

Darin is well known for his work with children, adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Darin has set up award winning early intervention services in Western Australia for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and related conditions. He was initially trained in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Clinical Behaviour Analysis and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. After many years working with developmental specialists and clinicians his frustration at not being able to bridge the gap from ABA to complex behavioural and emotional domains lead him to Relational Frame Theory (RFT). He has since applied Relational Frame Theory (RFT) to hundreds of developmental programs for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and special needs and continues to practice clinically using therapies developed from RFT such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other third wave Cognitive Behavioural Approaches.

Darin has lectured at the tertiary level and has provided over 200 training courses to a wide range of populations in the medical, health and public settings.  He is a sought after speaker in the use of evidence based practice to promote psychological wellbeing and development around the world having been invited to speak in the UK, Europe, the US and most of Australia.