Comeback Story Counseling
Mike Ensley, LPC, Counselor | Loveland, CO

Amusement parks have always been a favorite getaway for me. I was a lucky kid because my parents were happy to oblige when they could. Looking back I'm even more impressed with their sacrifice on those vacations. It must have been so exhausting. I was all about the rides. So focused on getting in as many spins, drops, and loops I couldn't sit still. Stopping for a meal or to shop for souvenirs was almost impossible. My poor family was pulled nonstop like they were trying to w

Going to see a counselor is a tough call for a lot of men. Despite changing narratives about masculinity, emotions, and relationships, some guys still see going to therapy as a mark of failure. But nothing could be further from the truth. There is a lot to gain, and the investment you make in the process can be the catalyst for the change you've been dying to see in your life. 1. Therapy is work. A common concept men have of counseling is that you're just paying someone to si

Who's waiting for you out in the wilderness? You are.

‘Mark’ was a member of a group I led a while back. His wife said she’d lost him to his Xbox, and he couldn’t really disagree. It was typical for him to be up well past midnight—with work the next morning—eyes fixed on the TV screen, often cursing at it. When he wasn’t on the machine, most of the time he was mentally still plugged in. ‘Lisa’ was a hardcore bodybuilder. Nothing wrong with that, but she was pouring more time, energy and money into it than friends of hers who wer

In the age of Social Media, some important words have become diluted. We click on pages or swipe our way into apps, and there see impressively long lists of "friends" and "connections" showing us what a robust community we supposedly have. And yet loneliness persists. How many of the hundreds (thousands?) of relationships represented on that "friends" list would you honestly categorize as a true friendship? Are we truly connecting with each other? Social media offers a conven

When I was ready to finish my graduate degree and begin to branch out into professional practice, I knew Northern Colorado was where I wanted to be. What I didn't plan on was a part-time gig that would turn into a life-changing experience. I took a position as a substitute for the St. Vrain Valley School District, but since I didn't have a teaching degree, I was limited to working with Kindergarten and Special Ed classrooms. My very first job was to stand in for a week in the

"Everything is a fight. Sometimes I can't even remember what started it. Before I know it we're both just yelling. I don't know how it got this way." Sound familiar? By the time I first meet many of my couple clients, fights colored by anger and hostility have become routine. It's not what anybody wanted or chose, and the seeming inability to make a change for the better is discouraging in the extreme. But this isn't unfixable. When Stories Collide Intimacy has a way of calli

All of us are interested in being happier, healthier, and more successful in our endeavors. Whether you're big into making annual resolutions or not, the coming of the New Year has a way of focusing our attention on our goals and desires--and what we wish was different. Of course, New Year's Resolutions are a bit notorious for grand beginnings and short lifespans. But that's no reason to be discouraged! Whether you're looking to get fit, kick a habit, or heal a relationship i