Written by Claudia Fernandez Perez, American Red Cross Public Affairs

From Connecticut to Miami and some stops in between, Ariane Ladd has lived a life marked by reinvention and a passion for helping others. As a former professional musician, she tried different career paths before discovering her true calling in mental health. After returning to school, she became a licensed marriage and family therapist, a role she still holds today.

Her journey with the Red Cross began after 9/11, when she was living in Connecticut. Moved by the national tragedy and her own personal experience with loss, she felt called to help others who were grieving. Even though her initial volunteer role was limited, the desire to contribute more deeply stayed with her. She began pursuing a degree in mental health counseling, and when she later encountered the Red Cross at a local military event, her background immediately stood out. They told her, ‘We need someone like you,’ and just like that, a new journey started.

She completed her training in Dallas and quickly became involved with the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) department. She now facilitates Mind-Body and Stress Solutions Workshops, focusing on reducing the challenges faced by service members and their families. These workshops are designed to help participants manage the emotional and psychological stress that comes with deployment, reintegration and military life. Her focus recently has been working with young recruits preparing to enter the military – an experience that has been deeply fulfilling for her.

“One of the best parts is hearing what the participants take away,” she says. “When they tell me they’re going to use a new technique we practiced or share it with a family member. That’s when I know it matters.”

In addition to her ongoing workshops, she has participated in special projects, including a recent session with the National Guard in Fort Lauderdale. “Right before my workshop, they informed the members they would be deployed for the next two weeks for hurricane cleanup and to prepare for an imminent second storm,” she recalls. “Everyone felt very stressed preparing to be away instead of going home the next day.” Guiding a meditation in that moment – feeling the shift in energy, and how it helped ground them – stands out as a powerful moment Ariane will never forget.

Now based in Miami, she organizes workshops with the Red Cross twice a month, and she hopes to expand her work to include disaster mental health support in the future. “Helping people who are grieving the loss of loved ones, homes, lives – I want to be there for them. My job is more flexible, so I’m able to go wherever they need me.” She also wants to work with people who are protecting our country and become a source of support for them in return.

Ariane also highlights that she has met very interesting people through her work. She has kept in touch with some of them and looks forward to making more meaningful connections in the future. Her message to potential volunteers is clear, “You won’t know how much you’ll get out of working with the Red Cross until you do it. The training is professional, the support that you get from your region is amazing, and they make you feel truly valued.”

This May, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage you to take action. Support the mental well-being of our military heroes and their families by becoming a Service to the Armed Forces volunteer