I Pulled Over. My Son Finally Told Me
My son kept telling me he was fine. He wasn’t. Chris Coulter, founder of The MentorWell, shares the day he pulled the car over, and what parents can do when their teenager won’t talk to them. Practical ways to stay calm, what to say when your teen opens up, how to read the eye roll, the small habits that build trust, and when to get professional help for your teenager in Canada.
I Had Maddie for Fourteen Years
Chris Coulter lost his daughter Maddie in 2015, when she was 14. For about ten years he carried one sentence: her life was taken from him. Anger and guilt came with it. What loosened it were the stories other kids told him about Maddie, including how she stood up for a swim teammate. A father’s honest account of anger, gratitude after losing a child, and why the anger still visits.
7 Things I’d Tell a Parent in the First Years After Losing a Child
Chris Coulter lost his daughter Maddie to suicide in 2015, when she was 14. Eleven years later, after telling his own father the truth about early grief, he rewrote what he’d tell a parent in the first years after losing a child: no schedule, a brain that changes, friends who go quiet, saying their name, and why some of it might make you angry.
I Made the Rules. My Kids Lived With Them
Chris Coulter, founder of The MentorWell, looks back on five parenting mistakes he'd take back. He made house rules alone, broke his own phone rules and fixed problems his kids only wanted heard. He also reacted to what his teenager told him before he reacted to her. For parents of teens wondering how to talk to a teenager without them shutting down, and how to share the rule-making without giving up the final say.
For Maddie: The Truth About Teen Depression No One Talks About
After losing his 14-year-old daughter Maddie to depression, a father shares her story to shine a light on teen mental health. This heartfelt post urges parents, educators, and teens to look deeper, speak openly, and take action. It also introduces The Mentor Well—a safe space for teens who need someone to talk to. teenage depression support
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What We Keep When They’re Gone
When Chris Coulter found his daughter Maddie's ice skates in storage after 10 years, he asked others what they kept after losing someone. The responses reveal how we protect proof of love through objects: worn clothes, handwritten letters, quilts made from favorite shirts, and items kept for decades. These stories show that holding on isn't denial and letting go isn't betrayal—both can be acts of love.
You Are Not a Bad Parent: Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health and Shame
Parents of teens with mental health struggles often hide in silence, isolated by shame and fear. After losing his daughter to suicide, Chris Coulter shares his journey through grief, medication, and crushing parental shame. He reveals why 1 in 4 working parents stay quiet and how community support replaces isolation with healing. Join the free When Something Feels Off parent community now open
So Grief, Anger and Empathy Walk Into a Bar...
After losing his 14-year-old daughter Maddie, a father turned his grief into purpose. Through The Mentor Well, he helps teens and young adults find guidance, empathy, and strength before they reach a breaking point. This story reminds us that grief, anger, and empathy can build hope—and connection saves lives.
This Is What Love Looks Like: The Brothers Who Carry Maddie’s Legacy Forward
When Maddie died at 14, her brothers Zac and Sawyer chose advocacy over silence. Through school talks and quiet acts of kindness, they carry her legacy and fight stigma around teen mental health. This story isn’t about loss—it’s about the kind of love that keeps showing up. A raw, real look at grief, purpose, and youth-led change. #TeenMentalHealth #GriefAndGrowth #SiblingAdvocacy #YouthVoices #MentalHealthMatters #LegacyOfLove