#84 The Science and Soul of Speech Communication with Dr. Phil Schneider

TranscendingX with Uri Schneider

What does it mean to keep showing up when life changes your body, your voice, your sense of self?

Dr. Phil Schneider has spent a lifetime helping people find their voice. But when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he found himself on the other side of the therapeutic relationship, learning how to live with a tremor, navigate shame, and reclaim agency in a body that no longer behaved the way it used to.

In this episode, Uri sits down with his father, mentor, master clinician, and co-founder of Schneider Speech, for one of the most personal and moving conversations on the podcast to date.

Together, they explore Phil’s decades of work helping people find their voice, and how his understanding of communication deepened through his own health journey.

What helped him move forward wasn’t hiding. It was naming the tremor, talking about it with family, and choosing connection over shame. Opening up was the moment he began reclaiming agency. Resilience didn’t come from isolation. It came from letting people in.

This episode is full of warmth, story, and hard-earned wisdom on voice, vulnerability, and what it really means to be present with another human being.

In this episode on connection and resilience, you’ll discover:

• How a nonverbal girl found her voice on stage and transformed Phil’s career
• What Parkinson’s taught Phil about stuttering, shame, and self-acceptance
• Why communication is about connection, not correction
• How being seen is more healing than being “fixed”
• The hidden cost of hiding, and the freedom of naming what’s hard
• How moments of presence can shape the course of a life
• And more invaluable insights

TIMESTAMPS

01:10 Meet Dr. Phil Schneider: A Legacy in Communication

03:03 How His Career in Speech Therapy Began

08:54 Learning from a Student: A First Encounter with Stuttering

13:38 The Power of Belief: How Gladys Found Her Voice

17:09 Connecting Through Communication

26:22 Teaching, Mentorship, and Shaping Future Therapists

29:29 Why Emotions Matter in the Therapy Room

30:39 Transformative Voice Therapy

34:35 Shame, Parkinson’s, and the Cost of Hiding

36:54 Openness, Vulnerability, and Reclaiming Agency

48:29 The Heart of Therapy: Growth Through Honest Connection

53:57 What Parents and Young Adults Need to Hear

57:06 Final Thoughts and Reflections

ABOUT THE GUEST

Phil Schneider, Ed.D. CCC-SLP is the founding partner of Schneider Speech Pathology. Recognized as a master clinician and teacher, he has been practicing and teaching for over 40 years. He holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Communication Disorders at Queens College, CUNY. Phil has been honored with the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association Distinguished Clinician Award, the New York City Speech-Language-Hearing Association Professional Achievement Award, and the Queens College Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2004 he was named the Speech Pathologist of the Year by the National Stuttering Association; in 2006 he was awarded the highest Honors of the New York State Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and in 2013 he was given the Advocacy Award by the Stuttering Association of the Young (SAY). Phil is a spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America and has appeared on NBC, ABC and WOR-TV; he has presented more than 200 inspirational and innovative seminars across the United States and around the world. His first documentary, “Transcending Stuttering: The Inside Story” aired on PBS in 2004, and has been viewed (free) online by tens of thousands of people worldwide. It is viewed and studied in universities around the country. His second documentary, “Going with the Flow: A Guide to Transcending Stuttering” featured the process of therapy, including real footage of Dr. Schneider engaging two young adults who stutter. His other publications include basic vocal physiology as well as applied clinical topics related to voice disorders, stuttering and principles of therapeutic change. He enjoys roller-blading, hiking and spending time with his family. QUOTES

“ You don't really know what a person needs or wants, and the only thing you can do is really listen and try to care and try to understand.” - Dr. Phil Schneider “ I realized this sense of being diminished by being out of control of your body in front of other people, and even without other people, was intrinsically shaming. It didn't require any other people.” - Dr. Phil Schneider “ Challenge can be an invitation to growth, and it can lead to intimacy, to being really open with people.” - Dr. Phil Schneider “ So long as there's life and there's breath, there's possibility.” - Dr. Phil Schneider “ Parenting is scary because it'll always feel like it's your fault” - Dr. Phil Schneider

ABOUT THE HOST Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP is co-founder and leader at Schneider Speech; creator and host of Transcending Stuttering; and former faculty at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. SEE ALL SHOW NOTES http://www.transcendingx.com/podcast

LEARN MORE at http://www.transcendingx.com and http://www.schneiderspeech.com