Why Ask, “Why?” Four Types of Causes in Counseling

In this article, Ed Welch distinguishes different types of “why” questions, sets forth their biblical warrant and suggests various counseling implications. Welch argues that some nouthetic counselors wrongly avoid all “why” questions in their thinking, thus confusing direct data gathering with thinking. Welch discusses the material cause, the efficient cause, the formal cause and the final cause. He concludes his article discussing the implications of these differing causes within the counseling relationship.