I am going to repost from Coyotebanjo, because I feel as if this is something I really struggle with, and he phrased it really well:

"But more from watching how my great therapist/Dharma sister/teacher handled the emotions of others. The therapist's charge is to maintain perspective (not "objectivity", which is a bullshit chimera that some therapists hide beyond in order to avoid commitment), but the Buddhist teacher's charge is to not only maintain perspective but also to manifest compassion. Which is a delicate line to walk, and every circumstance is different. But I also learned that one of the best ways to walk that line most constructively is to be present in the moment. And part of that "being present" is to sit with someone else's pain, and refrain from either trying to escape it, or to "fix it"--both of which are attempts to avoid it."

When someone comes to me crying or in pain, I am usually thinking ahead of how to fix it. Because I honestly thought that that is what they wanted. But when I am crying or in pain, how much do I want a quick fix? Does it really mean something to me? Or do I want my friend to listen and sit with me as I cry?
Do I even need a solution? Or do I just need to cry?

Beautiful advice.