The American Masculinity Podcast is hosted by Timothy Wienecke — licensed psychotherapist, Air Force veteran, and award-winning men's advocate. Real conversations about masculinity, mental health, trauma, fatherhood, leadership, and growth. Each episode offers expert insight and practical tools to help men show up differently — as partners, fathers, friends, and leaders. No yelling. No clichés. Just grounded, thoughtful masculinity for a changing world.

Loneliness is hitting men hard — but it doesn’t have to define your life. In this episode of the American Masculinity Podcast, Tim Wienecke (LPC, LAC) sits down with Atlanta-based therapist Phillip Quinones to explore how men can live alone without feeling isolated, set healthier boundaries, and build real community.

From sticky metaphors like “anger is your bouncer” and “boundaries are the lock inside the door” to practical tools for self-audit (health, finances, relationships), this conversation gives guys a roadmap to presence, empathy, and resilience — not performance or control.

• 0:00 Intro & Phillip’s background
• 3:00 Loneliness in modern America
• 5:00 Men’s friendships, self-esteem, and boundaries
• 7:00 How men and women often connect differently
• 11:00 Boundaries + anger: “the bouncer”
• 15:00 Why schools rarely teach emotional skills or finance
• 22:00 Talking vs processing (and how to practice)
• 31:00 Money stress, depression, and adjustment responses
• 37:00 Progress > success: motivation that lasts
• 44:00 Culture, status symbols, and real fulfillment
• 50:00 Accountability & building a ramp to change
• 59:00 Closing empowerment: “Nobody was you…”

• Loneliness is a real health risk — and there are specific, doable ways to counter it.
• Anger is information. Often a boundary signal; sometimes a mask for fear/shame.
• Talking ≠ processing. Skills turn conversation into change.
• Money stress matters. It can mimic or trigger depression; get practical support.
• Progress beats perfection. Framing around improvement keeps motivation alive.
• Status symbols won’t fill you. Aim for presence and relationships that last.

• U.S. Surgeon General (2023) identifies loneliness/isolation as a national public-health crisis:https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
• Men’s friendships often center on shared activities, women’s more often on emotional sharing (cultural tendency, not a rule):Vigil, 2007 (Human Nature): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26181847/Pew (2023): https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/12/what-does-friendship-look-like-in-america/
• Anger can indicate boundary violations but can also mask deeper needs:APA Dictionary (Anger): https://dictionary.apa.org/angerKassinove & Tafrate (2002): https://books.google.com/books/about/Anger_Management.html?id=OXJAscDapLUC
• SEL and personal-finance education are inconsistently required across U.S. states:CASEL (policy overview): https://casel.org/systemic-implementation/sel-policy-at-the-state-level/Council for Economic Education (2024 Survey): https://www.councilforeconed.org/wp-content/uploads/survey-of-states-2024.pdf
• Financial stress can produce depression-like symptoms and/or trigger clinical depression (DSM-5-TR):APA Dictionary (Adjustment disorder): https://dictionary.apa.org/adjustment-disorder
• Progress framing (Self-Determination Theory) supports motivation better than outcome fixation:Ryan & Deci (2000, American Psychologist): https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdfDeci & Ryan (2000, Psychological Inquiry): https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_DeciRyan_PIWhatWhy.pdf
• Materialism correlates with lower well-being (meta-analysis):Dittmar et al. (2014): https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2014_DittmarBondHurstKasser_PPID.pdf

• Boundary cue: When anger spikes, ask: What boundary is missing here?
• 3 coping avenues: Thoughts • Emotions • Behaviors — strengthen the one you avoid.
• Self-audit (weekly): Health • Social • Financial • Emotional • Spiritual — pick 1 small action.
• Ramp building: If the step is too big, lower the step and do it daily.

Phillip Quinones, M.S., LPC is an Atlanta-based licensed professional counselor, coach, and speaker. He earned a B.S. in Psychology from Georgia State University and an M.S. in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Brenau University. Phillip is the founder of PQ Coaching and Consulting, where he works with adults and couples to improve emotional intelligence, set healthier boundaries, and build relationships that last. His approach is holistic and practical — helping men move beyond material measures of success toward values-driven fulfillment.Learn more: https://pqcoachingandconsulting.com/

• U.S. Surgeon General. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
• Vigil, J. M. (2007). Asymmetries in the friendship preferences and social styles of men and women. Human Nature, 18(2), 143–161. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26181847/
• Pew Research Center. (2023). What does friendship look like in America? https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/12/what-does-friendship-look-like-in-america/
• American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Anger. https://dictionary.apa.org/anger
• Kassinove, H., & Tafrate, R. C. (2002). Anger management: The complete treatment guidebook for practitioners. Impact Publishers. https://books.google.com/books/about/Anger_Management.html?id=OXJAscDapLUC
• Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (n.d.). SEL policy at the state level. https://casel.org/systemic-implementation/sel-policy-at-the-state-level/
• Council for Economic Education. (2024). Survey of the states: Economic and personal finance education in our nation’s schools. https://www.councilforeconed.org/wp-content/uploads/survey-of-states-2024.pdf
• American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Adjustment disorder. https://dictionary.apa.org/adjustment-disorder
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_RyanDeci_SDT.pdf
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2000_DeciRyan_PIWhatWhy.pdf
• Dittmar, H., Bond, R., Hurst, M., & Kasser, T. (2014). The relationship between materialism and personal well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(5), 879–924. https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2014_DittmarBondHurstKasser_PPID.pdf