April Fools’ Therapy Myths – Busted!
Because play therapy might look like fun and games—but it’s some of the most powerful healing work there is.
April 1st is a day for silliness, jokes, and the occasional whoopee cushion—but here at The Healing Playroom, we’re taking a more playful twist: Let’s bust some therapy myths in honor of April Fools’ Day.
Why? Because we believe healing deserves clarity, not confusion. And sometimes, the most loving thing we can do is gently unlearn what we thought we knew.
🎭 Myth #1: “Play therapy is just... playing.”
At first glance, it does look like kids are just having fun. There’s a dollhouse, finger paints, maybe even a sandbox filled with tiny dragons. But here’s the truth:
Children use play the way adults use words.
Through pretend play, storytelling, and symbolic expression, children process grief, confusion, anger, and joy. They re-enact what they’ve experienced. They imagine new outcomes. They find mastery over scary or overwhelming situations—without ever needing to say, “I’m scared.”
In the hands of a trained play therapist, those moments become bridges to healing. What looks like a game... is actually growth.
📣 Myth #2: “Only kids with trauma need therapy.”
Every child benefits from emotional support. Some children come to us navigating big losses or tough transitions—others are learning how to share, manage anxiety, or make friends. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” a problem. It’s about helping children feel safe enough to explore their feelings and confident enough to share them.
Just like adults go to therapy to feel more grounded, kids come to play therapy to understand their big feelings and learn how to regulate them.
There is no such thing as “not big enough” or “not serious enough” to deserve help.
🤐 Myth #3: “They never talk in therapy—so it must not be working.”
h, yes. The quiet sessions. The ones where a child builds a castle, knocks it over, builds it again—ten times in a row. Or whispers to a puppet instead of making eye contact.
To the untrained eye, that might seem like nothing.
But to a play therapist?
That repetition? It's mastery.
That whisper? It’s a test of trust.
That silence? It’s a safe container finally forming.
Children often don’t talk in the beginning—and that’s perfectly okay. They’re speaking in the language of metaphor, movement, and imagination. And we’re always listening.
🌱 No Joke—Play Therapy Works
So this April Fools’ Day, we invite you to join us in smiling at the myths—and celebrating the truth:
💗 That healing can look like a tea party
💗 That children deserve gentle spaces to grow
💗 And that what looks like play… is actually the most important work they’ll ever do
