Bio Tīmoti Harris

Tīmoti Harris

A facilitator and counsellor of inclusive, humanistic interventions proven to effect change and improve outcomes

Tēnā koutou katoa, formal greetings to you all

Tīmoti grew up on a farm below his beloved Maunga Taupiri, nestled beside his nurturing and sustaining awa o Waikato. His childhood years were spent in homes of both the European and Māori worlds within Waikato.

He tamaiti whaangai ahau,
Noo reira ka nui taaku aroha moo ooku maatua whaangai
I tupu ake ai au ki Taupiri Whitikahu,
He aahuru mowai noo Tainui, noo Waikato hoki
He kaainga haumaru, he kaainga rire rire
Inaaianei ka rere aaku mihi kia Mataatua
Kei Ootawhiwhi taaku kainga inaaianei

With forty years of successful experience in a wide range of teaching, facilitation, counselling and mentoring roles, Tīmoti has a unique combination of skills and knowledge to offer work places including schools within Aotearoa New Zealand. Extensive teaching, counselling and mentoring experience in primary, secondary and tertiary sectors includes roles as Education Advisor in Counselling and Special Educational Provision, Lecturer in Teacher Education within Waikato University and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Special Education Facilitator with the Ministry of Education, Principal of a secondary school with a boarding hostel, and experience as a consultant, appraiser and facilitator within private sector organisations. A major focus through all these roles has been a passionate commitment to inclusion, celebrating diversity, equity provision and specifically to honouring the unique dual cultural founding heritage which is Aotearoa New Zealand; that of Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Pākehā. Tīmoti is also a highly successful Treaty of Waitangi educator and facilitator; his workshops being positively applauded for their inclusive positive approach.

Tīmoti’s professional vision remains to create and develop a culture of genuine care and inclusion along with cultural acceptance and tolerance within this nation. Believing strongly in the Treaty of Waitangi and the need to enact its principles, his conviction is that most people, when they learn what the treaty says, will be empowered to become active supporters of the Treaty and help enact its principles. Convinced that the Treaty will protect and strengthen our nation going into the future, Tīmoti’s vision sees the contributions, stories and pathways of all welcomed, celebrated, and enhanced. To bring alive an environment, which has quality space for all people inclusive of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, ability and culture is Tīmoti’s strength.

Tīmoti is experienced, successful and passionate, serving his community in many roles as well as being a sought after and well-respected workshop presenter and guest speaker in regional, national and international settings. As a facilitator and counsellor of 35 years’ experience, he believes the way to effect attitudinal change is to work not just through cognitive empathy but also through affective and compassionate empathy. It is his strongly held belief that genuine and long-lasting change comes when both intellect and knowledge are stimulated by the engagement of the heart.  Further, he contends  that working through a humanistic approach when exploring participants’ attitudes, minimises defensiveness and indeed generates an increased appetite for knowledge and understanding. This, in its’ turn, empowers attitudinal change.

Whiria Te Tangata
Weave the people together

Timoti Harris Civic Award

    Kia ora koe, greetings to you
    We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to get in touch via the form below, we will get back to you as soon as possible.

    ADDRESS

    Tīmoti Harris
    Empowering Change - Kia tupu te toi
    433 Seaforth Road
    RD1 Katikati 3177
    Aotearoa/New Zealand

    PHONE

    0275846684

    EMAIL

    timoti@empowering.co.nz