Changing Stories - Our Story

Lesley and Melissa are a mother-daughter team with a shared passion for helping people transform their lives. We’ve combined our unique experiences and insights to develop our Intentional Thriving framework. This approach empowers people to develop the knowledge, tools and agency to change their own stories.

Kia ora, I’m Lesley Murrihy

After 40 years in education as a teacher and principal — I found myself drained, numb and burnt out.  Reclaiming my wellbeing and vitality has been a slow journey of rediscovering purpose and building a more sustainable way of life.

Intentional Thriving has been influenced by what I learned on this journey of discovery as I have built my knowledge of the world (especially neuroscience) and of myself, taken small evidence-based actions, reflected on their impact, and adjusted my choices to align with what truly matters. It’s been about creating a life shaped not by circumstance, but by intentional design.

I haven’t done it alone. Coaching, counselling, and family have supported me — and it’s such a privilege to now work alongside my daughter, Melissa, in this space.

Intentional Thriving isn’t a destination but an ongoing journey. Each experience brings new layers of awareness and growth. I’m excited to share this approach with you. Seeing people grow, develop, and rediscover their joy has been the greatest reward of my leadership career, and I’d feel so privileged to walk part of that journey with you too.

Qualifications

NZIC Certified Coach

  • Intentional thriving coaching

  • Life and work coaching

  • Leadership coaching

  • Executive coaching

Doctor of Education, Diploma of Teaching, Master of Arts (History), BA Hons (History), BA (History and English)

kia ora, I’m Melissa Murrihy

The majority of my career has focused on supporting people through their most challenging moments. In various capacities, I’ve walked alongside individuals navigating addiction, mental illness, grief, stress, and trauma. This rewarding work taught me the profound resilience of the human spirit and sparked my passion for helping people not just survive difficult circumstances, but truly rebuild.


Alongside my professional journey, I’ve also lived with a chronic illness for much of my adult life. While it has meant seasons of being bed-ridden and unable to work, this personal challenge has deeply shaped my view of the world, myself, and what truly matters. Because of these lived experiences, my practice is rooted in sustainable change, self-gentleness, prioritizing what is essential, finding joy in the small things, deep connection, and the radical importance of rest.


Our Intentional Thriving coaching approach is about supporting you, in whatever situation you find yourself, to reclaim your agency. Together, we take intentional, realistic action toward the person you want to be and the life you want to live—anchored by your values, priorities, and unique vision of thriving. There will always be things beyond our control, but working within the spaces we can change is where true thriving begins.


Qualifications

NZIC Certified Coach

  • Intentional Thriving coaching

  • Life and work coaching

  • Health and well-being coaching

Bachelor of Counseling, Bachelor of Theology.


Our Approach

Intentional Thriving helps people slow down, reflect, and consciously design a life that feels balanced, meaningful, and energising. It is deliberately cultivating the conditions that allow you to both feel well and do well. Developing greater self-awareness, making conscious choices, and taking purposeful action so that your life aligns with your values, strengths, and aspirations. People thrive when key dimensions of their lives are intentionally cultivated and nurtured with care:

The result? Greater clarity, resilience, and joy — not by chance, but by choice.

Because thriving isn’t accidental. It’s intentional.

Purpose

Having clarity about what matters and feeling that your actions make a difference.

Empowerment

Knowing you can shape your life and navigate challenges.

Vitality

Sustaining energy through rest, health, presence, and joy.

Growth

Continually developing knowledge, skills, resilience, and curiosity.

Connection

Feeling supported and part of something larger than yourself.

Contribution

Creating value beyond yourself, serving others and your community.

FAQs

  • Coaching is a collaborative process that helps you clarify goals, explore possibilities, overcome obstacles, and take meaningful action. A coach does not tell you what to do or provide counselling. Instead, coaching helps you develop greater self-awareness, insight, and agency.

  • Intentional Thriving is suitable for young people (with an adult’s permission) and adults who want to enhance their wellbeing, navigate change, strengthen their relationships, improve their effectiveness, clarify their purpose, or create positive change in their lives. Coaching can benefit individuals, leaders, educators, teams, and organisations.

  • Each coaching session is tailored to your needs and goals. Sessions typically involve reflection, exploration, goal setting, identifying strengths, considering possibilities, and developing practical actions that align with what matters most to you.

  • Coaching focuses primarily on the present and future, helping people clarify goals and take action toward desired outcomes. Counselling and therapy often focus more deeply on healing past experiences, mental health concerns, or psychological difficulties.

  • Yes. Coaching conversations are treated as confidential, except where disclosure is required by law or where there is a risk of harm to yourself or others.

Reviews

“The coaching sessions with Lesley have been fantastic in helping me support my wellbeing in dealing with challenging workplace behaviours and in navigating challenging work.

Lesley’s patience and skills along with the coaching framework, insightful questions, reflections, strategies, and resources have provided the best professional (and personal) growth I’ve ever experienced.

I have more strategies to use as well as a lot more curiosity, confidence, and healing than I had when I started – though I’m still on the journey!”

— Wellington

“I am pleased to provide this reference for Melissa, who coached me over the course of 10 sessions. During this time, she supported me through a challenging period where trauma, procrastination, and low motivation were holding me back.

Melissa created a safe, grounded space that allowed me to confront and work through the patterns that had kept me stuck. Through her guidance, I was able to rebuild the motivation and confidence I needed to get back into running and returning to the gym—something that felt out of reach before our work together.

Her coaching didn’t just help me personally; it also empowered me professionally. Melissa helped me believe in my capacity to step into leadership development and coaching myself. Her ability to combine compassion, clarity, and accountability made a profound difference in both my personal wellbeing and my confidence in my professional path.

I am deeply grateful for Melissa’s support and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled, insightful, and genuinely transformative coach.”

— Dave, Christchurch

“I spent time with Mel in early 2025 as I returned from a career break, keen to build good habits and approach work with fresh intention.

Mel was friendly, calm, and astute at isolating the key moments worth examining. She created a safe, forward‐moving space where I could explore what truly mattered to me.

Through our work together, I reflected deeply, reframed how I met present moments, and clarified how I want to invest in myself going forward. I gained practical tools, new perspectives on longstanding sources of friction, a clearer sense of what’s important — and even discovered my superpower.

I’m so grateful for having this space to think out loud. Our conversations were thought‐provoking, insightful, and energising.

Thank you, Mel.”

— Irene, Wellington

“Lesley helped me identify my strengths and values to inform career choices, and set the boundaries that help me stay aligned to my goals and purpose. Lesley listens with compassion and curiosity and runs organised, outcome-focused sessions. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and helped me chart a positive new direction in my career. I whole-heartedly recommend Lesley as a coach.”

— Wellington

“Although I feel I am quite a reflective person. I found that my coaching sessions with Lesley led me to explore aspects that I hadn’t realised that I had control over, such as how I respond to stress or anxiety. I also became aware of patterns throughout my life and how being more aware of my responses to situations – along with a deeper understanding of what stress and anxiety is – empowered not only leadership but my personal experience and enjoyment of leadership.

Lesley’s thoughtful coaching through challenging leadership situations had a deep positive impact on me professionally and personally.”

—School principal, King Country