Regression is a technique used to predict future values based on known values. For instance, linear regression allows us to predict what an unknown Y value will be, given a series of known X and Y’s, and a given X value. Given the following, it’s easy to see the pattern. But assuming no obvious pattern…
Online Counselling and Suicide Intervention Specialist (OCSIS) Review
The Online Counselling and Suicide Intervention Specialist (OCSIS) course is an online, self-study 40-hour course designed to teach basic suicide intervention skills and focusing on online and chat environments, offered by the QPR Institute. Given the changes in help-seeking behaviour, with more people, especially youth moving online (Horrigan & Rainie, 2006) it’s important that helplines…
Conducting Psychosocial Assessments
As a Social Service Worker student I spent 8 months as a Bereavement and Palliative Care Case Manager with Durham Hospice, an organization that provides counselling, peer support and friendly visiting individually and in group sessions for individuals suffering from life-limiting illnesses (in particular those with less than a year to live) and those who…
Correlation (Calculating Pearson’s r)
Correlation refers to the idea that two variables (x and y) impact each other. For instance, the grades in a statistics class may be related to, or correlated with the amount of time those students study. As study time goes up, grades go up. This would be a positive correlation. On the other hand, as…
Understanding Self-Esteem
Introduction Self-esteem is an oft-discussed area of personal development and one that brings lots of people into counselling. Rarely though, do counsellors and therapists tackle self-esteem directly. Instead, they work on the limiting thoughts, social phobia or other issues that prevent people from having high self-esteem. One resource for learning more about self-esteem is Self-Esteem:…