Too often our feelings can get buried in the overwhelming day-to-day challenges of managing a cancer or other serious diagnosis. That’s why one of Team Jak’s top priorities is providing essential emotional and wellbeing support, not only to children and young people themselves but also to their families and friends. Our emotional support services can be found at — among other locations — our Jak’s Dens in Livingston and Aberdeen, as well as our pop-up Dens in Glasgow and Fife.
Looking for support for your child, family, or want to refer someone you know? Please get in touch today.
Emotions can be overwhelming at any stage of a cancer journey — whether you’re a child or young person facing diagnosis or treatment, or a parent, carer, or sibling supporting them.
At Team Jak, we offer access to experienced, registered counsellors who provide tailored emotional support in a safe and compassionate environment. This includes both traditional counselling and therapeutic play, which allows younger children to express their feelings through play and creative activities when words might be harder to find.
Support is available for:
Children and young people diagnosed with cancer
Siblings of any age
Parents, carers, and extended family members
Sessions can take place online or in person at several locations, including Jak’s Dens in Livingston, Aberdeen, and our Glasgow pop-up. Families can self-refer, or be referred by schools, hospitals, or healthcare teams.
Music has the power to lift our spirits, help us process emotions, and create moments of calm, even during the toughest times.
Our music therapists provide by-appointment individual music therapy sessions for children and young people with cancer at our Jak’s Dens in Livingston and Aberdeen. One of our therapists also visits the Royal Hospital for Children’s Schiehallion Ward in Glasgow twice a week.
We know how important it is for parents and carers to feel heard, supported, and cared for too. Here are some of the ways we support parents:
Twilight Sessions
Hosted at our Jak’s Den HQ in Livingston, and at our pop-up Dens in Glasgow and Fife, these evening sessions offer a mix of the opportunity for a cuppa and chat and nourishing activities, such as mindfulness and yoga.
Wellbeing sessions
Parents and carers are also invited to take some well deserved time out in our Pamper Pod at Team Jak’s HQ in Livingston. They can enjoy a relaxing massage or facial while their child is safely supported in the Den.
Having a brother or sister with cancer or any other serious illness can be a lonely and confusing experience.
That’s why at Team Jak we welcome Super Siblings to all our family activity sessions. We offer a range of fun activities designed to bring siblings together and help them connect with other children and young people who understand what they’re going through.
There’s also our Team Jak Super Sibling only day at our Livingston HQ. Once a year we put brothers and sisters centre stage to celebrate the important role they’re playing within their families.
You can find dates, themes and other details for all our family and sibling activities in the Team Jak events calendar.
When emotions are hard to express, our wellbeing programmes offer a safe, creative space for children, young people, and their families to explore their feelings and build resilience.
Bag of Worries
For ages 3–14, this group helps children diagnosed with cancer or other serious illnesses express their worries using tools like the Worry Bag, Worry Monster, and storybook. Siblings are also welcome.
Bag of Hope
These sessions are for teens facing cancer or its impact and offer space to explore emotions, manage stress, and find strength through tailored activities and peer support.
Bag of Rainbows
We have created these sessions for bereaved siblings, cousins and friends to support them in processing grief, making memories, and connecting with others who’ve experienced similar loss.
We walk alongside families at every stage of their journey, and this includes palliative diagnosis, bereavement, and the long road that follows.
At Team Jak, we offer…
Palliative support
For children, young people, and families who have received a palliative diagnosis we provide 1:1 emotional and practical support, whether that’s in hospital, at home, or simply by being a listening ear. Team Jak can also provide support to school staff and pupils and continue to be there when a child sadly dies.
Bereavement counselling
Sessions with our experienced, registered counsellors are available for parents, siblings, and extended family.
Angel Family Group
We have a very special group for bereaved families, offering connection, understanding, and monthly meet-ups. Join us on the first Sunday of the month at Livingston, with a separate Sunday session in Aberdeen.
Angel Parent Patter
Dedicated space for parents to talk, remember, and support one another, held at Jak’s Dens in Glasgow and Aberdeen, and online.
Angel gifts
We offer thoughtful, practical gifts including a memory bear voucher, a candle, and a leaf for our angel remembrance tree. Our angels are also remembered on their birthday and angelversary.
Rainbow Cart
We provide Rainbow Carts to Edinburgh and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Hospitals. These contain items such as themed duvets, fairy lights, soft towels, snacks and a coffee machine to help make a child’s room more homely if they are sadly going to die in hospital.
Seasons for Growth
A structured group programme for bereaved siblings, cousins, and friends to process grief, build resilience, and explore their feelings through shared activities and stories. Adult sessions are also available.
Remembering events
Each September, we take time to remember all our angels individually at the start of Glow Gold Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Team Jak holds a very special ceremony at our Livingston HQ Jak’s Den where we read each child’s name, reflect with poems and music, create memory items such as a personalised candle, and enjoy a special meal together. We end the session in our Angel garden and blow bubbles to heaven.
We also have a Christmas star tree ceremony and share a moment of reflection at our carol concert.
While most of our emotional support now takes place in person, we continue to offer online sessions to ensure no family misses out, especially those living in remote areas or who are unable to travel due to treatment. This includes online counselling, available by appointment for those unable to attend in person.
We’re happy to arrange additional online sessions. Just get in touch with the team and we’ll do our best to help.
We provide emotional, social and practical support to children & young people with cancer, their families, friends and those bereaved
