The AutSide Podcast

Episode 444: Gestalt Processors—Why Returning to Trauma Isn't Rumination


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Today’s episode explores the concept of memory processing, particularly for gestalt language processors (GLPs). The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that a cultural focus on “closure” and efficiency pathologises the natural process of “re-entry”—the repeated return to trauma or difficult stories—by labeling it as rumination or failure. Dr. Hoerricks reframes this repetition, explaining that for GLPs, each return is a necessary reconfiguration that allows meaning and coherence to emerge gradually, as memory is processed “whole to part.” Instead of being viewed as a malfunction, this recursive approach is presented as the essential mechanism for integration, allowing survivors to reclaim authorship over their experiences and mature their understanding of the events over time. She critiques the “violence of closure culture,” asserting that true healing is found in the slow, patient unfolding of meaning rather than forced silence or quick resolution.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/gestalt-processors-why-we-return

Let me know what you think.

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The AutSide PodcastBy Jaime Hoerricks, PhD