About

Mindful Mentor Behavior Consulting came about as a way to provide intermediate-level, animal behavior education and coaching. For nearly 10 years, Nurse Jessey worked in veterinary behavior specialty alongside Dr. Amy Pike. Between the two of them, they met with several thousand patients. Many of them were struggling with severe aggression, relentless phobias, and overwhelmed pet owners. As the "DMV" has expanded and more specialists open practices, top tier intervention and options are more accessible than ever before.

There is, however, a large population of pets and pet owners that may require more behavior assistance than their primary care veterinarians can offer, but don't necessarily need to go straight to a behavior specialty practice. This is where The Mindful Mentor can step in. Nurse Jessey has a solid background in veterinary medicine, dog and cat behavior, emotional disorders, treatment options, and practical behavior modification. She can work with you and your veterinary team to develop a realistic plan that is both effective and affordable.

The Mindful Mentor

Jessey Scheip is a Licensed Veterinary Technician based in Northern Virginia. In addition to her state license, she maintains her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Behavior and a training certification through the Karen Pryor Academy. Her passion is education - teaching others how to understand their pets, work with them on an individual basis, and how to use behavior principles to ensure they can live their best life. Much of her time is dedicated to helping families, but she also enjoys teaching other animal care professionals how to use behavior to better their own craft.

In addition to her work, she also maintains a hectic home life. She is a single mother of two rambunctious little boys (5 and 8 years old). She enjoys nature, creating, reading, and needlepoint.

The Critters

Gidget ("Gidg") - As of 2024, Gidget is the only pet in my household. We found (or rather, “heard”) him in the bushes out front of our home late one night in February. He was pathetic and cold and tiny. After evading our attempts at capture, we finally brought out our current cat, Glitch, on leash alongside some canned food. This coaxed him out of the bushes enough to be snagged and brought into the warm house. He immediately loved our pets but was terrified of all the humans. Even now, he’s wary of the boys and needs daily medication to help keep him from panicking several times per day. He’s the star in most of my cat-related content and my constant companion during virtual visits and anything computer related!

Delwyn ("Dellie") - Delwyn was the first dog I brought home at 19. She was smart, funny, expressive, and so much more. She was as content being an apartment dog with me in town as she was romping around the barn at my parents’ house. Everywhere she went, so brought joy and warmth. Without her in my life, I never would have gotten so far in my career. She had endless enthusiasm for learning and training, allowing me to use her for multiple certifications, projects, and training programs over the years. Though she passed away from lymphoma in 2022, her legacy lives on in my work as a pet professional plus starring in many of my educational videos and handouts.