Mayo-based intuitive mentor brings together clients and horses

Mary Berkery, describes herself as a soul coach, retreat guide, and an intuitive mentor who works with people navigating transition and change. From career crossroads to personal upheaval, she sets out to support clients in finding clarity and alignment. Sessions vary from online, in person, and often in the presence of horses.

“I work as a coach, I give talks, I guide people, and I do equine-assisted learning,” she explains. “I work with people who are going through transition and change, I love working with people in their 20’s.”

But rather than relying solely on traditional coaching methods, Mary, who is based in Westport, brings her clients into the arena.

“Instead of a person coming to me as a coach, a therapist, psychotherapist, or a counsellor, I bring this through the presence of horses,” she told The Mayo News. “If you feel a call or are drawn to horses, we do it in the presence of horses.”

So how does one fall into this line of work? Mary grew up around horses, immersed in the traditional equestrian world of riding, eventing, showing and hunting. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000’s when Mary’s relationship with horses completely shifted while living in Colorado.

“I heard of two psychotherapists who brought their practices into an arena and instead of seeing people in a room, were working with horses,” she says. “I couldn’t compute it into my traditional horse woman brain. So, out of total curiosity, I went.”

Following a transformative experience of her own, Mary says she became “hooked”.

Around that time, she discovered ‘The Tao of Equus’ by Linda Kohanov. A decade later, Mary completed Kohanov’s Epona Now training in Colorado and Germany, going on to work on her ranch.

READ MORE: “Strength in movement”: Mayo barrister turns idea into crowdfunded clothing brand after year of travel

So how exactly does equine-assisted learning actually work?

“Horses by nature are prey animals,” Mary says. “They are genetically wired to read whatever comes into their environment - whether it’s a friend or a foe. They can actually hear your heartbeat from three feet away.”

Mary says the horses pick up subtle clues as to who you are.

“Are they coming with aggression? Are you coming in peace? Are you relaxed? They feel that in their body.”

“A human might say, ‘You’re full of sugar.’ But a horse reveals it in a very loving and non-judgmental way. They’re mirrors. Horses are just big mirrors.”

Mary sees coaching itself as a kind of mirror, a way of holding space for someone to access what they already know intuitively.

“I don’t have an agenda, and neither does a horse. You come to a session and say, ‘This is what’s up, and this is what I want’.

Sessions begin with grounding and centring practices, followed by body awareness and heart coherence exercises to regulate the nervous system. Clients set an intention. Then they move to the horses.

Mary works “at liberty”, meaning the horses are not restrained. Clients choose between one and five horses, but how this happens is not always the same.

“Sometimes they choose the horse. Sometimes the horse chooses them,” she says.

The interaction unfolds naturally, she says.

So how does Mary know when a session has worked?

“I think the answer is clarity,” she says. “They know what the next step is. Not only do they know the next step, but they can feel it.”

Based primarily in Westport, Mary also works in Dublin and hosts Solo VIP retreats in Ireland and Italy, alongside sacred group retreats for spiritual reconnection.

Mary is also the author of Saved by a Horse, a book detailing stories of healing and insight through equine encounters, and a TEDx speaker who facilitates workshops such as “The Story Within,” exploring writing as a path to self-discovery.

READ NEXT: “It’s a way of preserving our Irish music” - Killasser craftsman maintains Irish handmade flute tradition