School counseling is far more than course scheduling and college applications. Rooted in faith and a commitment to the whole person, Columbus Bishop Hartley High School’s comprehensive school counseling program supports students from their first day on campus to graduation, providing academic, emotional and spiritual support.
For more than a decade, Bishop Hartley has quietly provided space for students experiencing loss.
Each year, in partnership with OhioHealth, the school hosts a grief group for students who have lost loved ones in their immediate families. Now in its 14th year, the group remains one of the most impactful – and often unseen – ministries of care at Hartley.
The school also prioritizes proactive mental health education.
For 11 years, counselors have facilitated Signs of Suicide, a nationally recognized program created by Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Over the course of two days, students receive behavioral health education, participate in wellness assessments and learn how to care for their peers and community in moments of crisis.
Bishop Hartley’s counseling program stands out with a student-to-counselor ratio of less than 200-to-1, below the national average of 500-to-1 and better than the American School Counseling Association’s recommended ratio of 250-to-1. This allows counselors to be visible, accessible and deeply invested in each student’s journey.
Beyond classroom programming, students receive individualized attention for academic planning, emotional support and college and career readiness.
“Our primary purpose is to help students thrive in education and holistically during their adolescent years,” said Lauren Gruenwald, counselor at Bishop Hartley. “We achieve this by assessing need, implementing programming through classes that benefit all, and being available for one-on-one counseling meetings.”
What makes Bishop Hartley’s counseling program distinct is the way it integrates academic, social and emotional care with faith.
Whether guiding students through challenges of adolescence, preparing them for the future or offering a listening ear, the counseling team embodies the school’s mission: transforming lives through the teachings of Jesus Christ within the Catholic tradition.
Bishop Hartley’s school counseling serves as part of a comprehensive student services program supporting students holistically by addressing spiritual, academic, physical and emotional needs.
Student services team members include the principal, chief education officer, vice principal of academics, vice principal of student life, dean of students, school nurse, clinical counselor, safety director, school counselors, school psychologist, intervention specialists, campus minister, director of enrollment and school chaplain. The team meets weekly to discuss plans of action.
The plan addresses the student’s needs and may require support from parents, teachers and outside services. Team members implement, monitor and report back to the team the plan’s implementation and effectiveness in improving areas of concern.
The student services team reviews student progress on a weekly basis and revises action plans as necessary.
From supporting a change in family dynamics to addressing behavioral shifts and grade drops, student services is the active system of care for Bishop Hartley students, supporting them in mind, body and spirit.
Each fall, freshmen participate in Freshmen Focus, a series of classroom presentations designed to help students adjust to Bishop Hartley culture. Counselors teach essential skills: organization, exam preparation, grade-point average calculation and appropriate technology use.
The program also tackles topics that shape life beyond the classroom. Students learn about healthy relationships, how to make “healthy choices for now and beyond,” and how to seek help when they feel overwhelmed.
Bishop Hartley’s clinical counselor partners in this work, guiding freshmen through challenges such as the “winter blues” and other common stressors.
“The goal is to give students the tools for self-discipline early,” Gruenwald said. “We’ve seen how these strategies increase retention, academic performance and post-secondary success.”
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