In a Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP), for poverty-affected families, counselors should:

• A. Examine their own assumptions and class-bound hidden prejudices.
• B. Attend workshops and seminars on poverty and working with impoverished families.
• C. Both A and B.
• D. Neither.

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is that effective counselors working with poverty-affected families combine self-awareness with ongoing professional learning. Examining their own assumptions and class-bound hidden prejudices helps counselors recognize and counteract biases that can shape how they listen, assess needs, and advocate for families. This self-reflection fosters more respectful, equitable, and trusting relationships, so families feel heard and valued rather than judged.

Attending workshops and seminars about poverty and how to work with impoverished families gives counselors practical knowledge about how poverty affects students’ lives, barriers families face, and the resources and supports available. It also builds skills, language, and evidence-based strategies for engaging with families, collaborating with school staff, and connecting families to community resources.

Using both approaches together creates a more responsive and competent practice. Self-reflection without new knowledge can leave gaps in understanding and effective intervention, while training without reflection can lead to applying techniques that don’t account for individual family contexts. Together, they support a holistic, equity-centered CSCP approach to serving poverty-affected families.