Philosopher Richard Zaner pioneered the field of clinical-liaison ethics, a role virtually unheard of several decades ago. Although not initially encouraged by traditional philosophers or the medical community, he became interested in the ethical and philosophical dilemmas confronting physicians in our morally pluralistic society during the technological revolution of the 1960s and 70s. Zaner brought his training in phenomenology to bear on these issues, as he served as a consultant and counselor in the clinical setting of a large medical center. It soon became clear that Zaner’s gift for communication, empathy, and respect for persons could be of great help to medical professionals as well as to patients and their families. Zaner’s phenomenology of the clinical encounter suggests an answer to the particular and complex problems of physicians, patients, and their families struggling with the phenomenon known as intersex, or disorders of sex development (DSD). Persons born with ambiguous sexuality have in the past been subjected to immediate and perhaps unnecessary surgeries to cosmetically normalize their reproductive organs. Parents of infants and children with DSDs were usually not informed about the nature of their child’s condition or the possible side effects they might encounter as a result of the surgeries. Adults who had been surgically altered were often met with silence and secrecy when they tried to gain access to their medical files. As a result of criticism and controversy concerning this standard of procedure, new guidelines were written for physicians faced with DSD patients. These guidelines encourage more communication between all parties involved and careful deliberation before any treatment is begun. Zaner’s phenomenology of the clinical encounter offers both a philosophical basis and a road map to us, giving practical advice as well as important cautions for dealing with persons unwittingly cast into a situation that makes them feel frightened, vulnerable, and alone.