The difficult reality is that a cancer diagnosis can be as devastating emotionally as it is physically. Very often, we are not aware of how deeply a disease affects the human spirit and emotional health.

The greatest benefit of psychosocial care is that patients and families may experience a significant improvement in quality of life. Without emotional support, people can struggle unguided with issues of their own mortality, with complex questions about quality and quantity of life, and with the burden of coping with treatments and suffering, both physical and emotional. Through counselling, you may be better equipped to enjoy a fulfilling and productive life. The experience of cancer can have the effect of putting a magnifying glass over one's life: it tends to bring out the good, amplifying the strong supportive bonds with friends and family.

However, the impact of the illness can also exaggerate the difficulties of everyday life, related, for instance, to marital problems or to family communications issues. These may add to the considerable anxiety of living with the cancer itself. Patients who receive emotional support are better equipped to cope with the relationship problems and the fear, depression and anxiety that are a normal part of dealing with cancer. Counselling can help to ease tensions within the family, and help with the complicated task of getting financial aid, making it easier for the person to get on with the important job of coping with the disease and its treatment.

For many people, one of the greatest benefits of counselling is that it is an opportunity to have their problems given individual attention. Counsellors have a deep sensitivity to the fact that the life of every person with cancer is unique. Counselling work is about tailoring an individualized approach to each situation.