Episode 4

Shelly Horton: Your peri-godmother opens up about perimenopausal depression and suicide, Medical Gaslighting & Becoming Your Own Advocate

Published on: 11th December, 2025

In this episode of Her Kind of Brave, journalist, TV presenter and media trainer Shelly Horton shares the story behind her book I’m Your Peri Godmother and what really happens when perimenopause hits like a freight train. Shelly opens up about decades of undiagnosed PCOS, “Armageddon” periods, multiple surgeries, a collapsed lung during a routine procedure, and the perimenopausal depression that left her suicidal.

She and Chloe and Kellie dive into medical gaslighting, fat-shaming from health professionals, how to advocate for yourself, why HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can be life-changing, and the campaign that took her all the way to Parliament House to fight for better menopause care in Australia. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, “too much”, or like you’re going mad in midlife, this conversation will put words (and power) to what you’re carrying.

Support the brands that keep these brave conversations (and your co-hosts) going:

GENEA FERTILITY – genea.com.au · @geneafertility · 1300 361 795

Centre for Reproductive Medicine & Surgery (Dr Kee Ong) – Call 07 5519 1602 · @drkeeong

KOSI – kosi.au · @kosi_au

MR CONSISTENT – mrconsistent.com.au · @mrconsistent_

Social Media: @shellyhorton1,

Work with Shelly: Shellshockedmedia.com

Buy the book: https://geni.us/ImYourPeriGodmother

Listen on Audible: https://shorturl.at/B0QWy

Be sure to join the chat in our Community Group www.facebook.com/groups/herkindofbrave/

Follow us on Instagram | @herkindofbravepodcast

Facebook| /herkindofbrave

Do you have a brave story, or are you looking to sponsor an upcoming episode? Reach out to us at herkindofbrave@gmail.com

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About the Podcast

Her Kind of Brave

Messy. Real. Braver than she thinks.

Her Kind of Brave is a podcast for women who know that the hardest parts of life rarely make it to the highlight reel — and that bravery often lives in the quiet, unseen moments.

Hosted by Chloe Davidson and Kellie Johnson, this show goes behind the glossy endings and into the real stories. The backstories. The messy middles. The chapters we live through before things make sense.

Each episode features raw, thoughtful conversations with women who have faced loss, illness, identity shifts, motherhood, ambition, grief, rebuilding, and becoming — and kept going anyway. These are stories of building businesses while breaking inside, navigating bodies that don’t cooperate, grieving what was hoped for, and creating meaningful lives alongside uncertainty.

Chloe and Kellie don’t show up as experts with all the answers. They show up as women in it — walking their own hard roads while holding space for others to tell the truth about theirs. Together, they create a warm, honest space where nothing needs to be wrapped in a bow and listeners are invited to simply be human.

This is a podcast for anyone who has ever wondered if they’re the only one struggling behind the scenes. For anyone navigating the space between who they were and who they’re becoming. For anyone who wants to feel less alone in the hard stuff — and more connected to the strength it takes to keep showing up.

Her Kind of Brave isn’t about perfect endings.
It’s about courage in real time.
And the power of sharing the story while you’re still living it.

If you’re craving honesty, depth, and conversations that feel like a hand on your back saying me too — this is your place.

About your host

Chloe & Kellie

Chloe Davidson and Kellie Johnson are the voices behind Her Kind of Brave — a podcast built on honesty, depth, and the courage to tell the stories that usually stay hidden.

Chloe is a writer, podcaster, and business owner, and the co-owner of Mr Consistent. She is also the curator of the anthology In Her Own Words: IVF, Loss & Miracles. Through her work, Chloe explores womanhood, identity, grief, fertility, ambition, and the emotional load women carry — especially in the spaces between who they were and who they’re becoming.

Kellie is a mum, entrepreneur, and the founder of Kosi, a 360° wearable heat pack created from her lived experience with stage four endometriosis. A passionate advocate for women’s health, Kellie brings strength, warmth, and lived credibility shaped by miscarriage, birth trauma, chronic pain, and rebuilding life alongside illness.

Together, Chloe and Kellie create a space where women feel seen, understood, and less alone. Her Kind of Brave is rooted in real conversations — honouring the hard seasons, celebrating resilience, and reminding women that bravery doesn’t require a polished ending, only the courage to keep showing up.