unsolicited advice is often unwelcome and resisted

it can imply that the advice-giver believes that he
has the superior knowledge; and in this way it can
be offensive to the listener

communications experts say that a listener is more
likely to be receptive to advice if he requests it

the experts also note that if we want to be of help
to someone who is struggling with a problem, there
is an effective alternative to unsolicited advice -

we can ask good questions - questions that help
the listener define the problem and identify the
resources needed to solve it

questions like,

What bothers you most about this situation?
What questions do you have?
What needs to be done?
What are your resources and limitations?
How much can you do?
How can someone be helpful?

of course, the fewer questions asked, the better -
a barrage of questions can be just as much of a
turn-off as advice that is unsolicited