How can psychologists help?

As per at @PattiJ's comments, it can be quite difficult. I am Melbourne based - I went through chemo with very little difficulty and then wham! Got three potentially lifelong side effects in a row. My problem wasn't so much how to cope, but sorting out my own sense of who I was and how I functioned. My senior oncology nurse recommended a counsellor, she was excellent and a relatively small number of sessions got me on a path which I am still on. Not everyone has those options, there may be no-one available without excessive travel, some find their counsellors not particularly helpful or not cancer experienced.  I was 68, had worked throughout treatments, so no child rearing responsibilities, work wasn't a particular problem (I did change my job 12 months after diagnosis but by choice not necessity) and most of the changes I made (delegating better, making more time for myself, not working 60 hour weeks) were long overdue before I got cancer! If a cancer diagnosis throws you out of work (has happened), a lack of income threatens the roof over your head and you have children to support, maybe on your own, your problems are about survival in every sense of the word. For me, the critical thing was that my counsellor "got" me very quickly -  no pat answers, no standard therapies, straight and humour filled talking. The smart one was my oncology nurse - made a really sensitive match, rather than suggesting a support group or talking to my GP!