The Primacy of Autonomy: Grounding Counseling Ethics in Libertarian Moral Philosophy

ABSTRACT Counselor values impact ethical judgments and clinical practice. Contemporary approaches to counseling ethics are informed by dominant liberal/progressive values. This article proposes an alternative ethical framework grounded in libertarian moral philosophy. Libertarianism is introduced through the axioms of self‐ownership and moral separateness , from which emerge the principles of autonomy, non‐coercion, and voluntariness. By prioritizing client autonomy above other ethical principles, the libertarian‐oriented counselor seeks to protect the authenticity of the existential–humanistic encounter by holding moral space and guarding against values imposition. Implications include greater counselor transparency in informed consent, avoidance of subtle paternalism, and an obligation to scale back professional social advocacy. Issues of impaired autonomy, public protection, and suicidality present challenging cases requiring further examination. Integrating moral philosophy and psychology in training and supervision may broaden moral diversity in counseling, deepen counselors’ moral self‐awareness and skill in navigating value conflicts, and inform consideration of optionality within ethics codes.