Across the Kitchen Table with Deb Schneider

Deborah Ellen Schneider's story is one of Survival, Hope and Renewal. These three words sum up her life and the lessons she offers people suffering from disability, depression and trauma.

In 1995, Deborah was rear-ended by a truck and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) so severe that within hours she was functioning like a five-year-old child. She endured chronic pain, post traumatic stress syndrome, and haunting childhood memories of suffering and depression. She also faced breast cancer, divorce and single parenthood. It took her eight years to rebuild her life, not the one she had before, but a new one that celebrates new beginnings.

Deborah, the mother of four boys, is now happily remarried. She received her BA in English from Muhlenberg College. She is a former high school English teacher, corporate trainer at J.P. Morgan Bank, and the North American head of Human Resources and Administration for Sumitomo Bank, Ltd., which at the time was the second largest bank in the world. She was an accomplished equestrian with plans to open a riding academy for the disabled. She also wanted to write a book, until one day a car ride changed everything. Years later, however, Deborah achieved her dream. Wind Dancing: the Gift of Healing Traumatic Brain Injury is her inspirational memoir.

Deborah reinvented her life. As a Coordinator for the Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS) she is the advocate for TBI survivors and their families on Long Island. She has resumed her equestrian activities, and she is the founder of Wind Dancing New Beginnings, Inc., an organization formed to provide consulting services in the area of lifestyle wellness.

Deborah is a motivational speaker, and she combines her experiences with passion and humor to help people recreate their lives.