Send us a text When an accusation hits, everything collapses. Here’s how to steady yourself and move forward with integrity. When you’re accused—rightly or wrongly—your body floods with fear, anger, and shame. Licensed therapist and veteran Tim Wienecke shares what to do next: how to regulate, think clearly, and take accountability without losing who you are. This isn’t legal advice. It’s therapeutic guidance for one of the hardest moments a man can face. Drawing from over a decade of c...

Send us a text Modern men have 20–30 percent less testosterone than their fathers. ER physician Dr. Hisham Valiuddin joins therapist Tim Wienecke to unpack why levels are falling and what responsible care looks like. They reveal what most low-T clinics won’t tell you about TRT, fertility, and whole-body health—separating quick-fix marketing from evidence-based medicine so you can get comprehensive testing and real answers. Why are men today averaging drastically lower testosterone than their ...

Send us a text In this episode of American Masculinity, licensed therapist and veteran Tim Wienecke talks with Commander William C. Spears — an active-duty U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer and author of “Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy: Insights on the Morality of Military Service.” Full fact-check notes, sources, and extended show notes for this episode are available at www.americanmasculinity.com . This is not the internet version of Stoicism. We’re not talking about pretending you’re u...

Send us a text What if aggression, sex drive, risk-taking, and status-seeking aren’t toxic at all? Licensed therapist and veteran Tim Wienecke reframes four core masculine traits from Richard Reeves’ Of Boys and Men and shows how to channel them through Service · Discipline · Connection · Expression. These traits aren’t moral judgments or gender rules—they’re descriptive, not prescriptive. Calling them “masculine” doesn’t mean they belong only to men; it means they tend to appear more often o...

Send us a text Loneliness is hitting men hard — but you’re not stuck with it. In this episode, therapist Tim Wienecke (LPC, LAC) talks with Atlanta-based counselor Phillip Quinones, M.S., LPC about living alone without feeling isolated, using anger as a boundary signal, and building the kind of community that actually supports you. Show notes & links: www.americanmasculinity.com Guest site: https://pqcoachingandconsulting.com/ Key takeaways: • Loneliness is a real healt...

Send us a text I almost skipped this week’s Thought of the Week because I’ve been stuck in a perfectionist loop on another video—4 hours rerecording a 90-second intro. As a licensed therapist who helps men break free from perfectionism, you’d think I’d have this figured out. I don’t. And that’s the point. In this 3:44 episode, I share how I use the 80/20 rule: getting to ~80% takes reasonable effort; pushing from 80% to “perfect” eats time, energy, and momentum. The hard part is accepting wha...

Send us a text What really happens when fathers step into family court? And how do men cope with the chaos of divorce, custody battles, and financial strain? In this episode of the American Masculinity Podcast, host Tim Wienecke sits down with Furkhan Dandia, a Canadian Certified Counsellor, therapist, and divorced father, to unpack the realities men face in court. With a background that spans two decades in engineering and business before moving into therapy, Furkhan brings both personal exp...

Send us a text The shame–anger cycle breaks men—and it breaks our relationships. I’ve lived it myself. Even as a clinician with 10 years of experience, I’ve let this cycle destroy relationships, including my marriage. Shame tells us to swallow our needs, to stay small, to “be strong” and never burden anyone. But when we push it down long enough, anger steps in as the bouncer—forcing the conversation in all the worst ways. In this episode, I share: How shame silently fuels angerWhy provider ex...

Send us a text What happens when two podcasters swap seats to talk fatherhood and masculinity? In this crossover between American Masculinity and Daughtered, Tim Wienecke and Oscar explore what it really means to raise daughters while rethinking the old scripts of being a man. This candid conversation blends lived experience with clinical insight. From the fading role of intergenerational fatherhood to the dangers of early sports specialization, Tim and Oscar dive into the challenges modern d...

Send us a text Every relationship I had through high school ended the same way—with betrayal. At the time, I thought being “the nice guy” was the answer. What I didn’t realize was that avoiding conflict and failing to set boundaries actually invited disrespect. It wasn’t until I hit a breaking point that everything changed. In this bonus episode connected to Daughtered, I share my personal story of repeated betrayal and the exact moment I decided to stop being a victim in my own relationships...

Send us a text Betrayal isn’t just about broken promises — it shatters trust, identity, and safety all at once. In this episode of American Masculinity, Tim Wienecke talks with Dr. Debi Silber, founder of the PBT Institute and creator of the Post-Betrayal Transformation framework. Drawing on research with over 100,000 participants, Dr. Debi explains why betrayal trauma is different from other wounds, the symptoms of Post-Betrayal Syndrome™, and the five stages of healing. Together, they explo...

Send us a text Even therapists get the dating jitters. After sitting down with one of the world’s best dating coaches, I found myself right back in the world of first dates—awkward, ambiguous, and full of lessons. Here’s what really happens: The pressure to “make it a date” kills genuine connection—change the frame and be present. The so-called “friend zone” is a made-up concept that turns connection into a competition. Real intimacy grows from curiosity, not conquest. Approach anxiety is...

Send us a text Dating in 2025 asks more of men than ever before. Apps can feel like a grind, rejection hits hard, and old scripts like “the man should always pay” don’t always fit. In this episode of American Masculinity, Tim sits down with Damien Diecke, Founder & Head Coach of the School of Attraction, to talk about what actually helps men thrive in today’s dating world. Damien’s coaching emphasizes presence over performance, empathy over pressure, and real-world skills over gimmicks. F...

Send us a text Is fear of rejection holding you back from asking for what you want in life? What if rejection could be a tool for growth, not just a barrier? In this bonus episode of American Masculinity, I get real about what it’s like to re-enter the dating world at 45. After an incredible first date—flirty texts, excitement, and even a sleepless night—I woke up to the sting of a rejection text. I walk you through how much it hurt, how it hijacked my day, and how I used the very tools I te...

Send us a text Struggling with anxiety and tired of advice that just doesn’t work for guys? As a licensed psychotherapist who works with men every week, I’m sharing the three most effective tools I use in my clinical practice—real strategies that help you break the cycle and actually feel better. Full show notes: www.americanmasculinity.com American Masculinity's Bonus Episode 3. What You’ll Get in This Video: Why “powering through” anxiety usually backfires (and what to do instead) How ...

Send us a text What if grit isn’t enough? Here’s what men aren’t told about discipline that actually lasts. In Part 2 of our Grit series, Tim sits down with Kevin Palmieri (Co-Founder of Next Level University, 2,100+ episodes, 1M+ plays) to break down the real difference between out-suffering everyone and building a life that doesn’t burn you out. www.americanmasculinity.com Why this episode hits different for men: The hidden cost of chasing success without fulfillment How “out-suffering...

Send us a text Most men think grit means suffering in silence — but they’re dead wrong. In this episode, Tim Wienecke sits down with Alan Lazaros, Co-Host of Next Level University, to challenge the myth that toughness is endless grinding. From growing up fatherless to surviving a near-fatal car crash, Alan shares how sadness can signal growth, how mentors fill the gap of absent fathers, and why grit is less about white-knuckle endurance and more about skills you build through reflection and p...

Send us a text Why do so many boys lose themselves in sports — and what happens when the game ends? Sports Mental Health Specialist and former D-II college athlete Jamal Jackson (LCSW) joins Tim to unpack identity loss, burnout, over-specialization, and how parental pressure often backfires on young athletes. Full show notes + references: www.empoweredchangece.com/americanmasculinity Key Insights: • Less than 2% of student athletes go pro • Parental pressure leads to burnout • Specializati...

Send us a text What do you do with the parts of your story you’re not sure how to tell? The family history you’re proud of — and ashamed of. The moments that don’t fit clean into “hero” or “villain.” The parts that feel too messy to explain. In this episode of American Masculinity, I sit down with Dr. Danny Brassell — a master storyteller who’s spent his career helping people shape their stories, own their failures, and find the truth worth telling. But here, Danny doesn’t show up as the poli...

Send us a text Four in five adults with dyslexia were never diagnosed as children — leaving many men to carry decades of shame, frustration, and self-doubt. In this episode of American Masculinity, licensed therapist and veteran Tim Wienecke sits down with Russell Van Brocklen, a dyslexia specialist and program leader, to unpack how undiagnosed learning differences reshape identity and self-worth. Together they explore why boys are so often mislabeled as “behavior problems,” how early shame t...