Ko Wai Au? / Who Am I? 

My name is Di Koch. I was born in South Africa and currently live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand, my partner’s Motherland.

My life and work have been shaped by many enduring, reciprocal intergenerational relationships. Elders within my heart tribe need special mention. They share qualities of healthy mischief, deep knowing we are part of the natural world, and a strong sense of belonging with those who came before us and those who come after us. I rely on their capacity to speak with realness and directness into my life.  

Through these connections, I’ve come to value rotational leadership, shared witnessing, and honouring of each person’s mauri (lifeforce). I have always been drawn to the Knowing held in our bodies, hearts, intuition and imagination. These multiple intelligences guide us toward wisdom, belonging, and connectedness when we take time to pay attention to them.

My practice is grounded in approaches that support deep listening and the ongoing development of these Knowing practices. Over the years, I have studied and trained in Education, the Arts, Theatre for Social Activism, Sandplay, Dialogue, Thinking Partnerships, Family and Systemic Constellations, and Rites of Passage work.

I have over 30 years of facilitation, learning design, coaching and mentoring experience within Education, Community engagement and  Organisational contexts.

In 2024, I had the privilege to complete powerful transformative postgraduate study in Kaitiakitanga, applying a mātauranga Māori–led knowledge system to relationships of care and support. This was through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, an incredible Indigenous University in Aotearoa New Zealand. It was a steep learning curve, where I gained immersive experience in the embodiment of a tuakana–teina way of being — a reciprocal, experience‑based mentoring relationship that honours the dignity and strength of each person.

These lineages, learnings, and my lived experience shape the way I accompany others.