Daniel Prasad, MACP, RPsych
REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST
Child & Teen Therapist
QUALITIES
What is truly important is not how we look, but our kindness within, and how we spread it around.
“In my experience, kids have so much to give to the adults surrounding them and seem to shine the brightest when surrounded by those who believe in them.”
—Daniel Prasad, MACP, RPsych
Daniel Prasad is a teen therapist in Calgary
who uses his teamwork, gaming, and caring Superpowers
to help kids—especially teens!—
shine in their own unique way.
Daniel’s Superhero Story
Attention Parents
Before your first session, you can share this story
with your child. Parents can also scroll below to read about Daniel’s expertise and experience working with children and teens in his professional bio.
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Daniel. This is his Superpower story (it’s about a dinosaur, looking a little different, and standing tall) and he wants to share it with you.
Daniel’s favourite colour was green. His favourite socks were green and so were his favourite t-shirts and hoodies. He loved reading and learning at school. Besides reading, he also loved sports and video games—and he had many friends, too.
One day when he was in school, Daniel realized that he was the only one wearing green. Most kids were wearing blue or yellow or both. But nobody else wore green. No one had a green backpack, green hoodie, or even a green hat. He looked a little different.
Daniel thought about that. As he looked down at his green sneakers and green socks, he felt a strange feeling that he did not recognize. He felt alone, strange, and sort of small.
Suddenly, he saw something move in the garden.
Guess what he saw?!
(Click to find out)A tiny GREEN dinosaur!
“Hi Daniel,” said the dinosaur. “My name is Ty T-Rex.”
That’s how Daniel met Ty T-Rex, the tiny teen dinosaur. They became friends.
Ty T-Rex was a smart, strong, friendly, dynamic dinosaur. He liked sports, just like Daniel, especially volleyball. And just like Daniel, Ty liked green, reading and playing video games and doing good deeds. (Ty also loved dancing, which was not Daniel’s favourite thing.) So they played and learned about things they wanted to know. They laughed together and helped each other to grow. Afterwards, they did not feel alone anymore: they were a team.
Meet Ty T-Rex! Click on Ty to see his chill dancing skill
Ty looked a little different. He was green and tiny. Most T-Rexes were way too large to live in a house, but Ty was about the size of a mouse.
Although Ty was quite small, he stood strong for others. His heart was wide and tall. Ty was dynamic in doing good deeds—he had so much goodness to give.
Playing video games and sports together, Daniel got to know all the wonderful things about Ty that made him special and unique: Ty’s Superpowers to shine. The most important of Ty’s Superpowers was his goodness to give, and it grew every day as he became the best T-Rex he could be.
And that’s not all. Daniel also discovered and grew his own Superpowers: teamwork, sportsmanship, and kindness. Then he used his strengths in the best way: to help others shine.
When he grew up, Daniel became a psychologist. He coordinated a sports mentoring program for youth for several years and is now a child and teen therapist on the Kids Reconnect team. Daniel’s specialty is working with youth, helping them feel like they are moving in a direction that is uniquely them, and to feel good about that. He loves being part of a team and still loves to play volleyball and video games. Over time, Daniel has grown to enjoy dancing, too.
Daniel’s Professional Bio
Strengthening the bond between parents and their kids has tremendous immediate benefit, as well as long-term potential. First, in their present reality, the relationships that kids care about the most are those they have with their parents and with their peers. It is through this bonding that a child’s inner world becomes more joyful and that the necessary environment is built for the child’s social, academic, and emotional learning and development. Put simply, connected kids are happier, more empowered kids. Secondly, parent-child relationships forge neural pathways that remain into adulthood. When parent-child relationships and attachments are secure and healthy, a strong foundation is laid out for the child’s future.
My expertise as a child therapist is supporting kids and teens to thrive by connecting with them at their level and empowering parents in their ability to relate to them.
Kids’ interests evolve over time and what is in vogue changes with the seasons, but in general, many currently include video games, sports, and reading. Done right, these can all be wonderful ways to reach kids and a great starting point for child counselling. Video games, sports, nerding out with Dungeons and Dragons, and reading are right in my wheelhouse, both as a therapist and as a person, so I can authentically connect with kids in these areas.
Video games
Starting in late childhood (ages 9-12) and into their teenage years, video games draw a particular fascination for some kids. This can present a variety of challenges for parents. One of my areas of specialty is preventing and resolving these issues. Parents might wonder, for example, whether the amount of time a teen spends on video games is adequate, or they could have concerns about age-appropriate themes, violence, or online safety. Frustration and not knowing how to relate to or contain video game use can lead to friction. When unprocessed, this erodes connection and can cause parents to feel alienated from their kids, who in turn also feel misunderstood by their parents.
Sports
My experience working with children, youth, and their parents includes counselling work but also goes beyond that. I coached a youth volleyball team and spent seven years coordinating a mentoring program that connected kids who were having a difficult time with positive role models in a family-centred mentoring program. I am a parent to my two incredible children. In my experience, kids have so much to give to the adults surrounding them and seem to shine the brightest when surrounded by those who believe in them.
Reading is a doorway to an infinite world of possibilities.
Ever since I was a child myself, I have been an avid learner and reader of all kinds of books, especially fantasy. One of my favourite quotes is from The Lord of the Rings:
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.—J.R.R. Tolkien
This reflects how I see my role as a child psychologist: helping kids shine, explore, and grow into their potential, building deep roots within their psyche. I look forward to working with your child to build on their strengths and transform their challenges into dazzling Superpowers.
I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioural Sciences from Ambrose University. As a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists and a member of the Psychologists Association of Alberta, my integrated approach to counselling includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solutions-Focused Therapy (SFT), and Existential Therapy (ET).
Couples counselling for parents
Often, the relational health of the parents is impacted when their child or teen experiences challenges, and vice-versa. To support parents in their couples relationship, Daniel also provides couples counselling at Couples Reconnect.
