Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) Structured, goal-oriented therapy for anxiety, depression, and unhelpful thought patterns.

Individual therapy

One-on-one sessions for adolescents (13+), young adults, and adults via telehealth.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

Skills-based treatment for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Yes. All sessions at MAR Psychological Services are conducted via secure telehealth video. No in-person office visits are required.

Dr. Benitez holds PSYPACT credentialing, which authorizes her to provide telehealth therapy across participating PSYPACT states. This includes Ohio and many additional U.S. states — contact the practice to confirm your state.

Dr. Benitez, PhD is a licensed psychologist and the founder of MAR Psychological Services, based in Gahanna, Ohio. She specializes in CBT and DBT for adolescents, young adults, and adults.

MAR Psychological Services accepts insurance through Headway. In-network plans include Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Quest Behavioral Health. Self-pay clients can book directly through the MAR Psychological Services website

You can request a free 15-minute consultation through our contact page. Self-pay clients may book directly at cinthia-benitez.clientsecure.me/contact-widget. Insurance clients should book through Headway.

Yes. MAR Psychological Services provides telehealth therapy for adolescents (ages 13 and up), young adults, and adults.

Treatment begins with a brief consultation call, where we determine whether my approach is a good fit for your needs. If we move forward, the early phase of therapy focuses on developing a shared understanding of the challenges you are facing and the specific behaviors you would like to increase or decrease in order to improve your quality of life.

The intake and assessment phase typically takes one to three sessions. During this time, we clarify treatment goals and develop a structured treatment plan with clear priorities and measurable targets. Therapy is collaborative and goal-oriented — you are an active participant, and we work together as a team.

Ongoing sessions focus on understanding how thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors interact to maintain current difficulties. We identify patterns that are no longer serving you and practice concrete skills to support change, such as responding differently to urges, managing intense emotions more effectively, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. Safety and stability are foundational to treatment, and when needed, we develop clear plans to support coping during periods of high distress.

My approach is skills-based and practical. Therapy is not solely about feeling better in the moment, but about building the capacity to experience emotions more effectively while moving toward a life that feels meaningful and sustainable. As skills strengthen over time, the goal is increased independence and reduced reliance on therapy.

Between sessions, you can expect structured practice. After most appointments, I will share relevant resources — such as brief readings, worksheets, or tools — to help reinforce skills and support progress outside of session.

The length of treatment varies depending on your goals and the complexity of the challenges you are addressing. CBT-based treatment for a specific concern may be relatively brief. DBT-informed treatment for more complex patterns typically takes longer. We will discuss realistic expectations during the intake phase and revisit them as treatment progresses.

Yes — between-session practice is a core part of treatment. After most appointments, you can expect to receive resources such as readings, worksheets, or skills tools to reinforce what we work on in session. Progress is faster when skills are practiced in real-life contexts, not only in the therapy room.