#by taking over the assessments he probably is keeping them from being assigned mandatory therapy

[maschotch]

About the Hotch therapy thing. He couldn't have known if they talk to the actual therapist. I think that after death of a team mate there's mandatory therapy and if they were forced to go they would. And of course they could have just shut off and tell lies like Emily did on hers or they could actually use that to help themselves. Some therapist had their way to get to people. Also opening up to Hotch - person they know and respect, would be harder like none of them wanted to show their weaknesses to each other so I can't imagine they do it willingly with Hotch

i think early seasons team for sure.. but i think a big part of it is that they are more open with each other now. guarded, certainly. but i always come back to reid’s line, “why run? we’re her family.” like theyre a family now they can admit that to themselves and to each other

especially after all they’ve been through together… like “in name in blood” is def where that first shift happened. but everything leading up to now as well… the way they all came together when penelope was shot, “i feel safe with all of you,” …. hotch encouraging reid to go to the movies…. everything that happened with foyet…… that last point especially tbh. they’ve seen him at his lowest. and by now they’re willing to admit that he’s seen them at theirs’. things that they feared would shame them being accepted with a warnth they weren’t expecting, like reid w his addiction or morgan ab buford. also thinking of how hard hotch fought to keep jj on the team… at this point its barely about the work. its about keeping the family together.

not that they’ll be 100% honest with him now. or even that they’ll volunteer any of the ways theyve been struggling unprompted. theyre not open people. its still hard for them to trust like that. but in the aftermath of emily’s death as they’re pulled into hotch’s office one by one where he explains gently that he wanted to do the assessments (bc thats what it is—its not a therapy session. its an assessment. theres nothing stopping them from going to counseling on their own, which of course they’d never fucking do skdhsk) bc he knows it would be more comfortable for them.. out from behind the desk and sitting on a chair pulled close to the couch… its intimate and informal, a space where they really feel like they can reveal their vulnerabilities… this is hotch we’re talking about. they know, whatever they tell him, he’s gonna write on the report whatever he needs to keep them on the team. he’s still keeping the family together, and thats something they do trust him with completely at this point

already any concerns they may have of career repercussions are assuaged by all that. and after emily’s death…. they’re all so raw. they’re maybe still defensive, but they just lost one of their own. with what faculties they habe that are focused on defense, they’re using to keep outside from in. theyre so fucking worried ab protecting each other now, not really concerned with any inner betrayals. not yet anyway. as time goes on and they each process it a little more, they go back to keeping things from each other. but right after losing a loved one? like two weeks or whatever after her fucking funeral? they’re clinging to each other now more than ever; a delicate state where they just dont want to lose anyone else. and if they lost her bc she felt like she couldnt be honest w them, its definitely a kick in the gut and a temporary epiphany that ‘hey maybe we should talk to each other about our feelings.’

all that to say that they’re more open and vulnerable w hotch now than they normally would be. and…. gdjahdksh i mean you can think whatever you want lol but i still highly doubt they would ever be open w a therapist. especially now. theyre deep in that grief-engulfed mindset: ‘cling to family dont trust outsiders cling to family dont trust outsiders.’ its what they have to fall back on in their compromised state.

and tbh i dont think they had mandatory therapy?? they were mandatory health assessments or whatever by strauss. i dont think even hotch could get them out of mandatory therapy. if anything he probably does think an outside party would be helpful (bc hotch is still grieving here himself—reeling from his biggest failure. i dont think he has the capacity to be arrogant rn lmao) but knows them well enough to not even bother suggesting it. they dont want anyone else right now they just want family. even if they werent so insular rn, i doubt any of them would be open w a therapist at this point. i dont think they hit that individual milestone until s10. rn they just… theyre not at the right mindset for that

your original point still stands. its definitely not healthy for them to only talk to hotch. and all of this is definitely due to hotch’s choices. but i wouldnt be so quick to disregard all autonomy: they’re perfectly capable of actually going to therapy on their own. this is him protecting them from a stranger assessment sent by strauss—who they would never be honest with if only because of the affiliation w strauss. (she may be on their side now, but it wasnt too long ago she was trying to tear their family apart too. they cant trust her at her word yet, even if she was nice to hotch post100.) its definitely harmful in its own way, but i think that has more to do w the effect in the long run when they realize he’s been lying to them this whole time. but thats a whole fucking other discussion akdgakfhkd

you can disagree if you want lmao like this is all just my interpretation of the characters and their relationships and how they deal with certain kinds of events in their lives. i just wanted to explain my perspective a little bit and give some reasoning for why im willing to cut hotch a little slack on this one