What makes a question "forward-oriented" in the solution-focused style, and why avoid "why?" questions?

Forward-oriented questions are open (how/what/when/where) and point at wishes and next steps; "why?" is avoided because it points to the past and feels like prying.

The questioning craft has two rules:

• Use open questions — how / what / when / where — that invite description and possibility, rather than closed yes/no questions that snap the door shut. Examples: "What could help?" "What do you wish for — what concerns and wishes do you have?"
• Avoid "why?" — why-questions steer back into the past ("why did this happen?") and are often experienced as drilling or accusatory (bohrend), putting people on the defensive instead of opening a future.

The aim is to move the person toward what they want, so the grammar of the questions is deliberately future- and possibility-shaped.

Tip: Swap "Why did you...?" for "What would you like instead?" — same topic, opposite direction.