Who We Are
Sport Psychology involves the study of how psychological factors affect athletic performance.
Benchmark Sport Psych provides athletes at all levels with instruction and training in the psychological skills for performance enhancement.
We recognize these four essential components:
- Healthy Athletes enhance their physical skills through Coaches, Professional Trainers and Nutritionists.
- Healthy Athletes enhance their mental strength through Sports Psychology Consultants.
- Injured Athletes consult with Trainers, Primary Care Providers, Sports Medicine Specialists, Surgeons and Physical Therapists to repair their physical injuries.
- Challenged Athletes consult with Academic Advocates, Concussion Specialists and Counselors to reduce or eliminate their mental health challenges.
Meet Our Team
Casey Noreika, PsyD
Licensed Clinical PsychologistCasey Noreika completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Pennsylvania State University and her Master’s Degree in General Theoretic Psychology at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Casey then moved to Illinois and attended Midwestern University to complete her doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology.
Casey has experience working in private practice clinical settings as well and in rehabilitation and nursing home centers. She has primarily worked with adults and geriatric populations providing individual and group therapy, in addition to psychological and neuropsychological testing.
Casey’s clinical interests include helping individual with depression, anxiety, and coping with life changes. Casey utilizes a variety of empirically based treatment theories. She believes the treatment used should be tailored to the individual. Casey believes in providing a supportive role to help foster stable working relationships and empower the therapeutic work.
In regards to testing, Casey has had experience in testing adults and geriatric population suffering from memory related difficulties. She has performed testing on individuals following a number of medical complications such as strokes, brain injuries, and seizures. In the rehabilitation and nursing home setting she has utilized testing to help determine dementia, the individual’s decisional making capability, and ability to live independently.
Casey lives in Chicago and she focuses on living a healthy lifestyle. She spends her time in the gym, weight training and learning about diet and nutrition. Casey likes being outside and attending various events with friends and family. She is also in pursuit of adding a pet to her home. If you know anyone who has kittens, let her know!
Michelle Mannino-Purkey, M.S., L.M.F.T.
Licensed Marriage & Family TherapistMichelle Mannino Purkey received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Purdue University and her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University Calumet. Her clinical experience includes working with individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Michelle’s areas of interest include medical family therapy and bereavement. Specifically, Michelle completed her master’s thesis on the effects of cancer on the family. She compiled information about cancer support centers throughout the United States and the types of services they offer to people affected by cancer.
Michelle works from solution-focused approach and believes that people are the experts on their lives. She views her role as someone who can offer support and empathy as well as someone who can challenge and encourage people to find new solutions. Michelle believes that discussing and highlighting a person’s strengths and prior successes is a critical part of therapy.
Nathan R. Jaisingh, N.P.
President & CEONathan R. Jaisingh, is a board certified psychiatric nurse practitioner who has studied at Morehead State University, in Morehead, KY, Rush University in Chicago, IL, and the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. His graduate and doctoral areas of focus include adolescent, adult, and geriatric psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and clinical practice & research with competitive athletes in improving overall performance through mental strength coaching.
Nathan R. Jaisingh founded Benchmark Psychiatric Services, LTD. in 2002, with the primary endeavor centered on geriatric psychiatry and psychopharmacology - with the goal of delivering stellar services on-site to long term care facilities. This model has grown from a single provider in two facilities, to now 15 providers in nearly 65 facilities in Illinois and Kentucky - and still growing!
After two and a half years of research and development, Nathan R. Jaisingh identified a significant need for a comprehensive program specifically structured for professional, collegiate, and competitive pre-collegiate athletes. From this, IAE Sport Psych, LLC was created.
Nathan R. Jaisingh is a Frank G. Dickey Fellow of the University of Kentucky and is an avid University of Kentucky athletics supporter. He is also a fervent Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox fan, having now lived in the Chicagoland area since 2000.
Nathan R. Jaisingh is married to a wonderful wife, Nicole, and together raise 3 delightful & inspiring children.