A specific characteristic of psychosocial counseling can be seen in negotiating private-intimate (counseling) in a public-social space (counseling institution). A challenge in developing theories of psychosocial counseling is to consider both perspectives - which can be described as the ethical (inter-individual level) and the political (social level) in order to do justice to both. The exploration of both perspectives of an ethics of alterity according to Levinas and a governmentality of counseling according to Foucault shows that both levels are incompatible. A figure of the third party reveals a hinge, which not so much brings both levels together but rather marks a place of discussion and conflict - this is what characterizes psychosocial counseling.