Resident life coach leads addiction recovery program at local church

by Charles Cassady

Like many quests, the search for sobriety often needs a guide, and the addiction-rehabilitation field has another one through Joe Pannitto, a.k.a. “Coach Joe.” 

A professional life coach and counselor, Pannitto has initiated a self-improvement and substance abuse recovery mission connected with Western Reserve Grace Church, 1066 East Aurora Rd. in Macedonia.

Pannitto, a Sagamore Hills resident, switched careers to become a life coach several years ago.

“I reached a point in my life where I wanted to stop working for a paycheck and instead work for a passion,” he said. “After reflection and prayer, I chose to begin giving back and ‘life coaching’ was a natural fit.”

He attained certification via The Center for the Empowerment Dynamic, of Bainbridge, Washington. The dynamic, according to the Center’s website, “generates resiliency and flexibility for those who want to make a lasting and positive impact by transforming everyday drama with individuals, professionals and organizations.”

“There was an ‘a-ha’ moment that occurred within me,” Pannitto said. “I saw how this work – that was developed by David Emerald and Donna Zajonc – was so intertwined in every aspect of life that it has become the foundational piece of my coaching philosophy.”

As Coach Joe, he can apply his skills in personal improvement and confidence to work with clients in psychological arenas running the gamut from building superior sales skills to conquering attention-deficit pathologies.

But it is another malaise Pannitto now addresses. “Although this work has traditionally been utilized by businesses, as I became a certified trainer and coach of the Empowerment Dynamic, I saw the clear connection in supporting those with substance/behavior use disorder. And it is a big part of what I call the ‘Breaking the Chain’ process of recovery.”

Even casual pilgrims on the self-realization path hardly need introduction to the Akron-founded Alcoholics Anonymous, not to mention a plethora of other programs that offer help to those suffering narcotics and liquor dependency.

Pannitto’s “Break the Chain” program has a key element that other treatments may overlook. “At its core, substance/behavior misuse is a response to ‘pain’ – albeit not a good one,” he said. “Our goal is to help people relate better to themselves and their world, understand those emotional triggers we all have and improve their coping skills to have a better response.”

He said this mindset helps people relate to the world and others by being the antidote to the “Drama Triangle,” first identified by Dr. Steven Karpman, which maps destructive interaction that can occur among people in conflict. Roles include the victim, rescuer and persecutor.

Generally his work is one-to-one coaching, but Pannitto thought of a recovery ministry serving the community at large. The Pannitto family has been in Sagamore Hills since 1997, and Pannitto’s his wife worked for the Nordonia school system for a dozen years.

“I connected with Rev. Lawrence La-Follette. He is Western Reserve’s pastor of biblical integration,” said Pannitto. “We worked together to incorporate what I do as a coach through my company with our church’s motto of ‘Walking Toward People, Not Away.’” 

Reclaim Ministries at Western Reserve Grace Church has thus been running an 11-week program to support, educate and empower participants. Clients must be 18 or over. 

“It’s also an opportunity for the families of those in recovery to learn skills that will improve how they support their family members,” he said. The most recent arc of the 11-weeks started in mid-March.

Some debate occurs in the recovery field (especially in AA) about the role played by religion. Pannitto said that this program does not specifically evangelize, “but Reclaim Ministries is part of Western Reserve Grace Church, so, yes, there is a component. We have connected relevant Biblical passages that align with recovery, and leading a healthy life physically, mentally and spiritually throughout the material.”There is no fee for joining the Reclaim Ministries, though those who do are required to purchase a book (available on Amazon) describing the Empowerment Dynamic. Those interested can visit the church website at wrgc.life or call the church office at 330-467-7436.