I do this with my spouse. He needs to vent sometimes. I'm a fixer. Multiple supervisors at work have told me that I am a fixer, when I see a problem, I want to fix it and I feel helpless when I can't. It's positive and negative in customer service, but with relationships it's different. It's hard when someone you love has a problem that you think you can fix, but you actually can't.

Last time he was venting and I was throwing solutions at him, he got frustrated, he gently and calmly said "Sweetie, I just want to vent, I am not asking you to fix it, I just want to talk about it." It helped me be a better listener, though I was a bit surprised by his reaction at first, I didn't realize what he needed from me until he told me.