Abundant Practice Podcast – Episode #732: How To Market When The World Is On Fire

Host: Allison Puryear (Host 2)
Guest: Kim Wheeler Poivian
Date: February 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Allison Puryear and guest Kim Wheeler Poivian discuss a prevalent dilemma for therapists: how to ethically and effectively market private practices during times of widespread crisis and uncertainty – when, as Allison puts it, "the world is on fire." They tackle questions of feeling out of touch, concerns about being seen as selfish, and strategies for genuine, service-oriented marketing amidst political, social, and environmental chaos. The conversation centers on reframing marketing as an act of service and explores how therapists can offer essential support to clients—even (and especially) during tumultuous times.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Dilemma: Is Marketing Ethical When the World Is in Crisis?

• Listener Question: “It feels weird when the world feels like it's constantly on fire… Posting about my availability or my services can feel tone deaf or even unethical. Is it actually ethical to market myself in times like this or should I be pulling back?”
• Kim’s Perspective (02:06): Kim compares current global tensions to 2020, noting that people have always needed therapy, and many crises have been ongoing for various populations.
  • Quote: “A lot of these things were happening before… But those people that you still work with still need therapy. They still need support, they still need to go through the day to day.” (03:34)

Marketing as Service, Not Self-Promotion

• Reframing the Role of Marketing:

  • Marketing isn’t simply about announcing availability; it's about letting people know support is out there.
  • Therapists are a “beacon” during times of crisis by maintaining visibility and accessibility.
  • Quote (Host 2): “What they do care about is like, how are you helping your clients navigate the fact that the world is on fire? So if you want to share some content… share what's working.” (06:40)

• Impact Beyond the Individual Session:

  • Kim emphasizes that, while therapy can’t fix systemic issues, providing a safe space for processing and validation is crucial.
  • Quote: “When we do therapy, we're working on a micro level… therapy doesn't change your life, but it does change how you navigate your life.” (04:27)

Addressing Ethical and Emotional Concerns

• Feeling “Sleazy” About Marketing (06:59):

  • Kim normalizes feelings of discomfort around self-promotion, especially amid crises.
  • She reframes content creation as an act of service—offering something helpful even if someone does not become a client.
  • Quote: “At least they found something helpful and they could take something away from it… There are people out here who do actually care.” (07:52)

• Balance Between Acknowledging Reality and Providing Hope:

  • Recognize and validate harsh realities without using them to promote your practice or ignoring them altogether.
  • Clients need to feel therapists can handle the world’s chaos, offering stability and hope.
  • Quote (Host 2): “If I feel like that I don't want to go to the therapist who also can't manage their own feelings around it.” (09:16)

The Ongoing Need for Therapy

• Persistent Personal Challenges: Major events do not eclipse ongoing struggles with mental health, trauma, relationships, or loss.

  • Quote (Kim): “There’s still people who have eating disorders… going through a divorce… struggling with self-harm… Just because this particular thing happens… doesn’t mean you’re not still struggling.” (09:28)

• Therapy as Resistance and Resilience:

  • Marketing sustained support is framed not as indifference, but as a form of resistance—refusing to “float along” and instead actively supporting lives and businesses.
  • Quote: “Just knowing that people are still living and doing their lives and they're running their businesses, that in itself is… a form of resistance.” (10:46)

Practical Marketing Advice

• Authenticity Over Self-Promotion:
  • Share useful coping strategies and relatable experiences—not just availability.
  • Engage in community spaces with honesty about capacity and support.
  • Acknowledge that giving “something back” can be enough; marketing is less about filling your caseload and more about making a difference.
• Importance of Visibility:
  • Some therapists are burnt out and stepping back, so it’s especially valuable and generous to publicly state you are available to help.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim Wheeler Poivian:

  • “When you work in a really flawed system that you know is likely working against you… it can feel extremely helpless. But what is really validating is to have a therapist who acknowledges it.” (04:48)
  • “In a world where you have to always go out and be okay, you have an hour that it's okay to not be okay.” (05:22)

• Host (Allison):

  • “No matter what's going on in the world, marketing is an act of service.” (10:41)
  • “If you want to share some content… then share what's working.” (06:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:31–02:00: Introduction of today's question—ethical marketing during crisis.
• 02:06–04:27: Kim reflects on historical and ongoing need for therapy regardless of world events.
• 04:27–06:00: Impact of therapists’ work at the individual (micro) level.
• 06:00–07:50: Navigating feelings of guilt or sleaziness in marketing.
• 07:50–09:28: The ongoing challenges clients face; importance of therapist presence and acknowledgment.
• 09:28–10:46: Therapy as resilience and resistance; maintaining life and business as an act of defiance.
• 10:46–11:41: Wrap-up—affirming marketing as service and next steps for listeners.

Actionable Takeaways

• Embrace visibility as a form of support—clients need to know you’re here.
• Share resources and insights rather than just availability.
• Acknowledge the current context with empathy and hopefulness, not denial or exploitation.
• Recognize your practice as both business and service, essential in times of crisis and beyond.
• Leverage marketing as a space for clients to feel understood and validated, especially when wider systems are overwhelming.

Conclusion

This episode reframes marketing for therapists in difficult times as not just acceptable, but necessary—a means of offering vital support and resilience for those who need it most. By focusing on service, authenticity, and ongoing client needs, therapists can feel confident that sharing their presence and resources is both ethical and deeply valuable even, and especially, “when the world is on fire.”