Everyone kept saying the Avengers need therapy...

[paging_dr_malloi]

This is not what they meant.

It's incredibly unethical for any therapist to force their services on anyone, which is what you 'tagging' other people with me constitutes doing. Therapy works at its' best when someone has decided they want help and have made a conscious choice to talk it out. Throwing me at people is inverting the process. Furthermore, your knowledge of psychology is not nearly thorough enough. Fury picked me because of my credentials and field work on very odd and classified missions working with some interesting people, not all of them human.

You have Wikipedia and assume that'll be enough.

At least get me some coffee before we hash out the details of this, alright? I have a feeling this will call for caffeine and a lot of reading on your end.

Comments

[barsoombamf]

A fair enough perspective. But does it not also stand to reason that what people need is not necessarily what they want? Perhaps these Avengers need your help, even if they'd rather not talk about their problems - might do them some good.

[paging_dr_malloi]

With no disrespect meant, that method's been tried before with most of them. It hasn't worked. What they need is someone who respects them, who knows that sometimes it takes a while to be ready to talk about things. Me storming into Stark Industries, locking the door and confronting Mr. Stark with his father issues isn't going to do any good because his guard will be up before I utter a single word.

My profession is a series of judgment calls.

[barsoombamf]

True enough, you're a fair-minded man it seems. But a question, if I may: These men and women face a great deal of stress and horrid events that most people can't imagine, what happens when it becomes a matter of life and death? What happens when they must talk about such things, but still refuse, and madness overcomes them? Would a pre-emptive approach not be better?

[smartestonethereis]

You're supposed to be a therapist for the Avengers?

Heh, good luck. You'll need it.

[paging_dr_malloi]

In those moments, it's my official job to haul them back from the grip of madness. Because no one is ever too far gone, and I know myself well enough to know I would step in before the cracking point. I'm unfairly good at telling when people are on that edge.

[paging_dr_malloi]

Dr. Banner, dry wit and cynicism may be able to lead some therapists down the road of trying to raise your mood but in this case... if anything that was a restrained look at the difficulty of the job.

But if my being here can help even one of you, just once, then it was worth the move from fieldwork into Stark's ridiculous Tower.

[barsoombamf]

Very well, I yield to your trained eye, sir. How long have you been practicing your craft, if I may ask?