Aims The study's aims were to (1) assess family members' perceptions of the quality of the counselling they received while visiting a loved one in an adult ICU and (2) identify factors that influence family members' perceptions of counselling quality.

Design A cross-sectional survey of visiting family members of adult ICU patients.

Methods Family members (n = 55) at eight ICUs across five Finnish university hospitals completed a cross-sectional survey.

Results Family members assessed the quality of counselling in adult ICUs to be good. Factors associated with the quality of counselling were knowledge, family-centred counselling, and interaction. Family members' ability to live normally was associated with understanding of the loved one's situation (ρ = 0.715, p < 0.001). Interaction was associated with understanding (ρ = 0.715, p < 0.001). Family members felt that intensive care professionals did not adequately ensure that they understood counselling-related issues and that they lacked opportunities to give feedback, in 29% of cases, staff asked the family members whether they understood the counselling and 43% of family members had opportunities to offer feedback. However, the family members felt that the counselling they received during ICU visits was beneficial.