I was a communications major in college. So from the beginning I explained to BF that when I vented I wasn't looking for him to fix my problems, just to listen to me and offer his support through listening. And I would repeat this before specific conversations. He still had a problem with this for years.
Since you're a reader R2C I would highly recommend You Just Don't Understand by Deborah Tannen.
If you love somebody, set them free. http://tinyurl.com/2empx2g
