Learned Helplessness and Disempowerment

Dr. Sandra Bloom and Sarah Yanosy teach the biological basis of learned helplessness and its inherent connection to traumatic experiences, whether in childhood or adulthood. Discussing learned helplessness in organizations, they associate bureaucratic, hierarchical systems with disempowered staff, and even observe the enactment of learned helplessness by the systems themselves – particularly in health and human services. Our hosts conclude with the reassuring fact that learned helplessness can be overcome, so long as we are willing to embrace the necessary changes, risks, and potential failures that lie on the path to recovery and empowerment.