🐠 Betta Together

At Northwest Mental Health Alliance, we believe healing can begin in unexpected places - sometimes even in a small glass tank.

The Betta Together program was born from a simple idea: that caring for a rescued or neglected Betta fish can mirror the process of our clients’ own trauma recovery. Many of these fish arrive dull, withdrawn, and struggling to survive in poor conditions - not unlike the way trauma leaves its mark on humans.

With time, safety, and consistent care, color returns. Movement returns. Life returns.

And so does hope.

💧 A Reflection of Healing

Each Betta tank becomes a quiet reminder that recovery doesn’t happen overnight. Healing takes patience, gentleness, and the belief that something once harmed can still thrive. Watching a fish rebuild trust in its environment can mirror our own journey toward feeling safe again - one small moment of stability at a time.

Betta Together is less about fishkeeping and more about companionship. It’s about creating an environment - both aquatic and emotional - where something fragile can feel safe enough to flourish.

🌿 Rehabilitation & Adoption

Each Betta in our care begins its journey in a therapeutic recovery tank, where it receives the medication and calm, stable environment needed to regain strength and color. Once a fish is healthy, active, and ready to thrive, it becomes eligible for adoption through the Betta Together program.

Clients who adopt are guided through setting up their own natural, planted tank so that each Betta transitions into a balanced, living ecosystem built with care.

These adoptions represent more than giving a fish a home; they’re a reflection of mutual recovery. When we nurture life, we often find that life quietly nurtures us in return.

💜 How to Support

We’re currently gathering supplies for going-home tanks.
Donations of the following items are deeply appreciated:

• 5–10 gallon tanks

• Heaters, filters, and water conditioners

• Live plants and gravel

• Betta-safe decorations and food

You can also support by donating gift cards or making a monetary contribution to help us purchase tanks and supplies wholesale.