Alexandrite Meaning: Healing Properties, Uses & Symbolism

Alexandrite meaning centers on change, adaptability, balance, self-discovery, and learning to respond constructively when circumstances shift. That symbolism comes naturally from the gemstone’s defining optical phenomenon: fine alexandrite can appear green or bluish green under daylight-type illumination and change toward red or purplish red under warmer incandescent light.

Mineralogically, alexandrite is the color-change variety of chrysoberyl. It is a beryllium aluminum oxide with the formula BeAl₂O₄, and trace chromium is responsible for the characteristic color-change effect in fine material. With Mohs hardness of about 8.5, excellent toughness, and no cleavage, alexandrite is also unusually durable for a rare colored gemstone.

The spiritual side of alexandrite meaning is different from those measurable properties. Modern crystal traditions associate alexandrite with transformation, confidence, emotional balance, creativity, intuition, and resilience. These interpretations are symbolic beliefs rather than scientifically established healing effects.

At Gems Lore, alexandrite meaning reflects the stone’s remarkable ability to look different without ceasing to be the same mineral—a useful symbol for adapting to change while keeping a stable sense of identity.

Key Takeaways

• Alexandrite is the color-change variety of chrysoberyl.
• Its ideal chemical formula is BeAl₂O₄.
• Chromium contributes to alexandrite’s characteristic color-change phenomenon.
• Fine alexandrite may look green to bluish green in daylight-type light and red to purplish red under warmer incandescent illumination.
• Alexandrite has a Mohs hardness of approximately 8.5, excellent toughness, and no cleavage.
• Alexandrite meaning commonly emphasizes transformation, adaptability, balance, resilience, confidence, and self-awareness.
• Alexandrite healing properties are spiritual interpretations rather than clinically demonstrated medical effects.
• Natural alexandrite is exceptionally rare, particularly in larger sizes with strong color change.
• Russia is historically the most famous source, while alexandrite has also been found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, India, and other localities.
• Natural, laboratory-grown, treated, and imitation alexandrite should be distinguished carefully when buying.

Alexandrite at a Glance

What Is Alexandrite?

Alexandrite is a rare color-change variety of chrysoberyl.

Ordinary chrysoberyl can be yellow, greenish yellow, brownish, or other colors, but alexandrite is distinguished by its ability to show substantially different colors under different light sources.

Its ideal composition is:

BeAl₂O₄

The crystal structure itself does not switch from one mineral into another as the color changes. Instead, alexandrite absorbs and transmits different wavelengths of visible light in a way that produces different dominant colors depending on the spectral composition of the illumination.

This is essential to alexandrite meaning because the gem’s symbolism grew from a genuine optical phenomenon rather than simply from a trade story.

Alexandrite changes its visual expression while remaining structurally the same material.

That makes adaptation, perspective, and transformation intuitive symbolic themes.

Why Does Alexandrite Change Color?

Alexandrite’s color change is primarily connected with chromium substituting for aluminum within the chrysoberyl crystal structure.

Chromium selectively absorbs portions of visible light.

Daylight and many fluorescent or daylight-equivalent lamps contain a relatively strong blue-green component. Under those conditions, fine alexandrite can appear green or bluish green.

Traditional incandescent illumination contains proportionally more red wavelengths. Under that warmer light, the same gem may appear red, purplish red, reddish purple, or related warm hues.

The result is known as the alexandrite effect.

Not every alexandrite changes from perfect emerald green to ruby red.

Natural stones may shift between combinations such as:

• yellowish green and brownish red;
• bluish green and purple;
• green and reddish purple;
• olive green and brownish purple; or
• green-blue and purple-red.

Strength of change varies as well.

Some gems undergo an obvious transition across most of the visible stone. Others show only partial or weak color change.

The idealized green-to-red combination represents premium quality rather than a minimum requirement for authenticity.

Alexandrite Meaning and the Symbolism of Change

Transformation is the central theme in alexandrite meaning.

The gemstone’s color-change phenomenon provides an obvious metaphor: the same object can present differently under changing conditions without losing its fundamental identity.

That makes alexandrite a natural symbol for periods when circumstances demand adjustment.

A person might connect alexandrite meaning with:

• moving to a new place;
• beginning or ending a career chapter;
• changing relationships;
• graduating;
• starting a business;
• developing a new role within a family;
• rebuilding after disappointment; or
• changing an old habit.

The symbolic lesson is not that alexandrite causes change.

Change occurs regardless of the gemstone.

Instead, alexandrite can represent the capacity to respond flexibly while preserving the values that still matter.

Alexandrite Meaning for Adaptability

Adaptability is closely related to transformation but slightly different.

Transformation describes what changes.

Adaptability describes how you respond.

Alexandrite meaning can therefore serve as a useful symbol during situations where there is no single perfect response.

A practical reflection might ask:

What has actually changed?

What still remains within my control?

Which part of my approach needs to adapt?

Which principles should remain unchanged?

That distinction mirrors the gemstone itself.

The apparent color changes with illumination, but the underlying crystal remains alexandrite.

Used symbolically, the stone can represent flexibility without abandoning identity.

Alexandrite Meaning for Balance

Balance is another major theme surrounding alexandrite meaning.

The stone visually occupies two different color worlds: cool green and warm red or purple.

Modern crystal traditions often interpret this duality as a symbol of balancing opposing needs.

That could mean balancing:

• thought and emotion;
• independence and connection;
• ambition and rest;
• caution and courage;
• consistency and flexibility;
• planning and spontaneity.

Balance does not require making both sides equal at every moment.

A more practical interpretation is knowing when one side requires greater attention.

Alexandrite can serve as a reminder to make that assessment consciously.

Alexandrite Meaning for Confidence

Alexandrite meaning is also commonly associated with self-confidence and self-trust.

The connection is understandable: adapting successfully to changing conditions often requires enough confidence to make decisions without knowing every outcome in advance.

In a grounded practice, alexandrite might symbolize preparation followed by action.

Before an important decision, presentation, interview, or conversation, you could connect the gemstone with a simple intention:

Prepare carefully, speak clearly, and respond to what actually happens.

The gemstone does not manufacture confidence.

Confidence grows through preparation, experience, skill development, realistic feedback, and repeated action.

Alexandrite can simply become a physical reminder of that process.

Alexandrite Meaning for Resilience

Resilience describes the ability to recover, adjust, or continue after disruption.

That makes it another natural component of alexandrite meaning.

The symbolism is especially useful when a situation cannot simply be returned to its earlier state.

Sometimes resilience requires changing the approach rather than restoring the past.

Someone might use alexandrite to represent:

I can acknowledge what changed without allowing the change to define everything that follows.

This is a more realistic interpretation than treating alexandrite as a supernatural shield against difficulty.

The stone does not prevent disappointment, loss, conflict, or uncertainty.

It can represent how someone intends to navigate them.

Alexandrite Healing Properties

Alexandrite healing properties are commonly described in modern crystal traditions as supporting emotional balance, confidence, creativity, resilience, self-awareness, and adaptability.

Some sources also attribute physical health effects to the stone.

Those medical claims are not scientifically established.

There is no reliable evidence that alexandrite treats diseases, regulates organs, alters hormones, cures neurological conditions, changes blood chemistry, or replaces appropriate medical care.

A useful distinction is to translate spiritual claims into reflective practices.

If alexandrite symbolizes emotional balance, use it during journaling before reacting impulsively.

If it symbolizes resilience, connect it with one constructive action after a setback.

If it represents confidence, use it as a reminder to prepare for something you have been avoiding.

Under this approach, alexandrite healing properties become symbolic themes connected with intentional behavior rather than claims about a gemstone treating the body.

Emotional Healing Symbolism

Emotional healing is frequently mentioned within alexandrite meaning.

The phrase can easily become misleading if it suggests that a mineral treats psychological disorders.

A safer and more useful interpretation is emotional processing.

Alexandrite’s changing appearance can symbolize the fact that the same experience may look different when circumstances, information, or perspective change.

During journaling, you might ask:

What did I believe about this situation initially?

What do I understand differently now?

Which part of my reaction still makes sense?

Which part needs to change?

The exercise provides the reflective value.

Alexandrite simply becomes a symbolic focus.

Persistent emotional distress, depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental-health concerns deserve appropriate professional support rather than dependence on a gemstone.

Alexandrite and Creativity

Creativity is another modern association within alexandrite meaning.

This interpretation draws from the stone’s ability to appear different in changing environments.

Creativity frequently requires a similar willingness to reconsider the familiar.

An alexandrite kept near a creative workspace might represent questions such as:

Is there another way to frame this problem?

Which assumption am I treating as fixed?

What happens if I change the context?

The stone does not directly increase artistic ability or cognitive performance.

Its changing colors simply provide a memorable visual metaphor for looking at the same problem through another perspective.

Alexandrite and Intuition

Some modern crystal practices connect alexandrite meaning with intuition.

Intuition can be interpreted in several ways.

In spiritual traditions, it may be presented as inner knowing or heightened perception. In ordinary decision-making, people may use the word for rapid judgments based on accumulated experience and subtle observations.

There is no evidence that alexandrite gives a person supernatural information.

A grounded use is to treat the gemstone as a reminder to examine an intuitive reaction rather than blindly obey it.

Ask:

What am I noticing?

What evidence supports this feeling?

Is past experience informing me, or am I reacting from fear?

What additional information would help?

This approach respects the symbolic tradition without presenting intuition as guaranteed prediction.

Alexandrite Chakra Associations

Alexandrite does not have one universally agreed chakra assignment.

Modern practitioners often associate the gemstone with the heart chakra because green is strongly connected with that center in contemporary chakra systems.

Its red and purplish secondary colors also lead some practitioners to connect alexandrite with the root, crown, or higher awareness centers.

Others interpret the shifting colors as a bridge between emotional and spiritual themes.

These associations vary substantially between practitioners.

There is no established anatomical evidence that alexandrite interacts with measurable chakra organs or energy centers.

For someone who practices chakra meditation, the gemstone can simply provide a focal point for visualization, breathing, or reflection.

Alexandrite Metaphysical Properties

Modern discussions of alexandrite metaphysical properties commonly include symbolic associations with:

• adaptability;
• personal transformation;
• emotional balance;
• resilience;
• confidence;
• self-awareness;
• creativity;
• intuition;
• optimism; and
• navigating transitions.

These meanings are not inherent instructions encoded in chrysoberyl chemistry.

They have developed through the extraordinary visual behavior of the gem, modern spiritual traditions, cultural associations, and personal interpretations.

Alexandrite meaning is most useful when those themes are converted into deliberate actions rather than promises of automatic change.

History of Alexandrite

Alexandrite became famous after discoveries in Russia’s Ural Mountains during the nineteenth century.

The gem was named in connection with Alexander II, then heir to the Russian throne.

The association became especially memorable because fine Russian alexandrite displayed green and red colors, which also carried strong significance in imperial Russia.

Those early Ural stones established the quality image still associated with premium alexandrite.

Fine Russian material is renowned for strong color change and desirable green-to-red combinations.

The original Russian deposits eventually became far less productive, and other sources entered the international gem market.

Today, alexandrite is known from several regions, though fine-quality material remains scarce.

The important historical point for alexandrite meaning is that many elaborate modern healing claims are much newer than the mineral’s nineteenth-century discovery.

Statements that ancient civilizations specifically used “alexandrite” under that mineral name should therefore be treated skeptically unless strong historical evidence is provided.

Where Is Alexandrite Found?

Russia remains the most historically famous alexandrite source.

Important material has also come from:

• Brazil;
• Sri Lanka;
• Tanzania;
• India;
• Zimbabwe; and
• other parts of East Africa and the world.

Geographic origin can affect collector interest and market value, but locality should not be guessed from color alone.

Different deposits can show tendencies in hue and color change, yet overlap exists.

A fine stone from Brazil can be more desirable than a weak stone from a historically prestigious locality.

Likewise, simply calling a gemstone “Russian alexandrite” does not prove its origin.

For important origin claims, credible laboratory evidence is preferable to seller storytelling.

Russian Alexandrite

Russian alexandrite has an exceptional reputation because the original Ural deposits produced stones with vivid green to bluish green daylight colors and rich red to purple-red warm-light colors.

Historic Russian material can command significant premiums.

That reputation also creates a marketing risk.

“Russian” is sometimes used loosely because buyers associate the word with top quality.

Origin and quality should therefore be evaluated separately.

A stone can genuinely be Russian without displaying elite color change, while outstanding alexandrite can occur outside Russia.

Brazilian Alexandrite

Brazil became an important alexandrite source, particularly after discoveries in Minas Gerais.

Fine Brazilian material can show vivid bluish green daylight coloration and reddish purple to purple colors under warmer illumination.

Some Brazilian alexandrites rival the classic color quality associated with Russian stones.

Again, origin does not automatically establish quality.

Individual stones still need to be judged according to the strength and desirability of their actual color change.

Sri Lankan Alexandrite

Sri Lanka has produced alexandrite, sometimes in larger sizes than classic Russian material.

Many Sri Lankan stones tend toward yellower greens and browner warm-light colors compared with idealized Russian or fine Brazilian examples, although exceptional gems also occur.

This illustrates why alexandrite meaning and value should never be reduced to a simple source hierarchy.

A gemstone should be evaluated as an individual object.

Alexandrite Color Change and Quality

Color is the most important quality factor in alexandrite.

Three related questions matter.

First, what colors does the gemstone show?

Fine alexandrite typically displays an attractive green or bluish green in daylight-type illumination and red or purplish red under warmer light.

Second, how strong are those colors?

Weak gray, muddy brown, excessively dark, or very pale colors are generally less desirable.

Third, how complete is the change?

A gemstone that changes dramatically across most of its visible area usually attracts more interest than one showing only a slight shift.

The dedicated alexandrite price guide explains how these quality differences affect value rather than reducing price to carat weight alone.

Alexandrite Clarity

Natural alexandrite can contain inclusions.

Fine transparent stones with strong color change and high clarity are particularly scarce.

However, clarity should not automatically outrank color.

A nearly flawless alexandrite with weak brownish color change may be less desirable than a slightly included gemstone with much more attractive green and red colors.

Inclusions can also become important when they form oriented structures capable of producing chatoyancy.

That leads to cat’s-eye alexandrite.

Cat’s-Eye Alexandrite

Some alexandrite contains aligned inclusions that produce a moving band of reflected light known as chatoyancy.

When properly oriented and cut as a cabochon, the stone can show a sharp cat’s-eye.

A gem displaying both alexandrite color change and a distinct cat’s-eye effect combines two optical phenomena.

Such material can be exceptionally interesting to collectors.

The wider range of appearances and phenomena is covered in types of alexandrite.

Cat’s-eye material should be evaluated differently from transparent faceted alexandrite because the quality of the eye becomes an important consideration.

Natural vs Laboratory-Grown Alexandrite

Laboratory-grown alexandrite is an important part of the modern market.

Genuine synthetic alexandrite is laboratory-grown chrysoberyl capable of displaying the alexandrite color-change effect.

It is not the same as a natural alexandrite because its origin is different.

However, it is also not necessarily the same thing as a simple imitation.

A simulant may be another material that resembles alexandrite without being chrysoberyl.

These distinctions matter because laboratory-grown stones can display strong color change, excellent clarity, and large sizes at prices far below comparable fine natural stones.

The detailed identification issues are covered in real vs fake alexandrite.

When purchasing alexandrite, always establish exactly what the seller means by terms such as “natural,” “lab-created,” “synthetic,” “simulated,” or “alexandrite color.”

Alexandrite Treatments

Alexandrite is not routinely subjected to the same broad range of commercial treatments seen in some major colored gemstones, but treatments can occur.

Fracture filling is one example that may be encountered in certain stones.

A treatment does not change geological origin in the same way laboratory growth does.

A treated natural alexandrite began as a naturally formed stone and was subsequently altered.

Laboratory-grown alexandrite formed in a manufactured environment.

The distinction is important for value, disclosure, and sometimes cleaning.

The dedicated treated alexandrite guide covers those differences without confusing treatment with synthetic origin.

How to Identify Alexandrite

A genuine color change is an important observation, but it does not prove that a stone is alexandrite.

Other natural and manufactured materials can also change color.

Professional identification can consider properties such as:

• refractive index;
• birefringence;
• specific gravity;
• spectroscopy;
• inclusions;
• pleochroism;
• chemical composition; and
• other optical characteristics.

Advanced laboratories may also distinguish natural from laboratory-grown material and, in appropriate cases, investigate geographic origin.

Avoid destructive home tests.

Scratching, heating, chemical exposure, or attempting to break a gemstone cannot reliably settle many alexandrite identification questions and can permanently damage a valuable stone.

For meaningful purchases, laboratory verification is more useful than risky experimentation.

How to Buy Alexandrite

Color change should be examined under genuinely different lighting conditions.

Do not buy significant natural alexandrite based solely on a photograph showing two dramatically different colors.

Ask how each image was illuminated.

Evaluate the stone under daylight-equivalent illumination and then under a warmer incandescent-type source.

Modern LEDs complicate the familiar phrase “green by day and red by night” because different LEDs can have very different spectral outputs.

Also examine:

• color saturation;
• tone;
• brightness;
• clarity;
• cut quality;
• carat weight;
• treatment disclosure;
• natural versus laboratory-grown origin;
• documentation; and
• return terms.

The buy alexandrite guide focuses on these purchasing checks and the warning signs that matter before committing to a significant stone.

Alexandrite Value

Natural alexandrite can be among the most expensive colored gemstones when quality is exceptional.

Scarcity increases sharply when several desirable characteristics occur together:

strong color change, attractive green and red colors, good saturation, useful clarity, fine cutting, and larger carat weight.

Large fine alexandrites are particularly rare.

That makes simple price-per-carat averages unreliable.

A modest-quality stone and an exceptional stone of the same weight can occupy completely different value categories.

Geographic origin can also influence the market, especially when prestigious origin is supported credibly.

Laboratory-grown alexandrite follows a very different economic structure because geological rarity is absent.

Alexandrite in Rings

Alexandrite is well suited to rings because it combines hardness of about 8.5 with excellent toughness and no cleavage.

That durability does not eliminate the need for a secure setting.

An alexandrite ring places the gemstone in a position where it can experience regular knocks, so prongs, bezels, metal condition, and setting design all matter.

The changing light around the hand can make the color-change phenomenon particularly noticeable.

Alexandrite Earrings

Earrings expose gemstones to relatively little impact, making alexandrite an excellent choice for the format.

The major challenge is matching.

Two natural stones need to coordinate not only in size and cut but also in daylight hue, warm-light hue, tone, saturation, and strength of change.

That makes fine alexandrite earrings more difficult to assemble than simply finding one attractive gem.

Alexandrite Necklaces

A necklace can concentrate the design around one fine alexandrite.

That allows buyers to prioritize the quality of a central stone without needing a closely matched pair or large suite.

An alexandrite necklace can also combine the gemstone with diamonds or other accents to increase visual presence without requiring a much larger alexandrite.

Alexandrite Bracelets

Bracelets create the greatest matching challenge when they use many alexandrites.

An alexandrite bracelet may need several stones that coordinate under two or more lighting environments.

That can make natural tennis bracelets particularly costly.

Bracelets also experience more routine impact than earrings or necklaces, so clasp quality and stone security require extra attention.

How to Clean Alexandrite

Alexandrite is relatively durable and stable under normal wear.

For routine cleaning, warm water, mild soap, and a soft brush are sensible.

Pay attention to the underside of the gemstone and areas around the setting, where oils and residues accumulate.

The exact cleaning method should consider treatments, other gemstones, adhesives, antique construction, and the metal setting.

The full procedure in how to clean alexandrite jewelry separates ordinary home cleaning from pieces that deserve professional inspection.

How to Store Alexandrite

Alexandrite is hard enough to scratch many softer gems.

Store it separately or in a padded compartment so it does not rub against opal, pearl, turquoise, fluorite, or other more vulnerable materials.

Diamonds and some harder materials can scratch alexandrite in return.

For rings, check prongs periodically.

For earrings, examine backs and posts.

Bracelets need inspection of links and clasps, while necklace chains should not be stored in ways that create tight knots or pull against the gemstone setting.

Good storage protects the entire piece rather than merely the alexandrite.

Alexandrite Meaning as a June Birthstone

Alexandrite is one of the modern birthstones associated with June, alongside pearl and moonstone.

That gives alexandrite meaning an additional personal dimension for people born during the month.

Its symbolism of adaptation and transformation can work particularly well for birthday jewelry because birthdays naturally mark transition from one year of life into another.

The birthstone connection does not determine someone’s personality, luck, compatibility, or future.

It simply provides a traditional framework for giving the gemstone personal significance.

How to Use Alexandrite for Meditation

Alexandrite can be used in meditation without assuming that it sends a measurable energy into the body.

Start with the stone’s strongest symbolic theme: change.

Hold or place the alexandrite nearby and consider one area of life that is shifting.

Ask:

What am I trying to keep exactly as it was?

What genuinely needs to change?

What part of my identity or values should remain stable?

What is one useful response available now?

The gemstone’s color-change behavior makes it a memorable physical symbol for the exercise.

The reflection itself produces the practical value.

Alexandrite for Journaling

Alexandrite meaning also translates naturally into journaling.

For adaptability:

Where am I resisting a change that has already happened?

For resilience:

What did the last difficult experience teach me that I can use now?

For balance:

Which two competing needs am I trying to manage?

For confidence:

What evidence shows that I am more prepared than I feel?

For perspective:

What does this situation look like under a different assumption?

These prompts keep alexandrite meaning connected with deliberate self-reflection rather than unsupported promises.

Alexandrite as a Gift

Alexandrite makes a meaningful gift for transitions and milestones.

Its symbolism can suit:

• birthdays;
• graduations;
• anniversaries;
• promotions;
• career changes;
• relocations;
• engagements;
• personal achievements; or
• the beginning of a new chapter.

Because fine natural alexandrite can be expensive, the recipient’s preferences should matter more than symbolism alone.

Some people may prefer a smaller natural stone because rarity matters to them.

Others may prefer a larger laboratory-grown alexandrite because the dramatic color change is the main attraction.

Neither choice needs to be justified through metaphysical claims.

What Alexandrite Meaning Cannot Promise

Alexandrite meaning can symbolize change, confidence, resilience, balance, and self-awareness.

It cannot guarantee an outcome.

Wearing alexandrite does not scientifically prove that:

• a relationship will succeed;
• an ex will return;
• money will arrive;
• a job will be offered;
• illness will disappear;
• another person will change;
• intuition will always be correct; or
• future events can be predicted.

The gemstone can still carry deep personal significance.

Symbolism becomes most useful when it supports choices and reflection rather than replacing evidence, communication, healthcare, financial judgment, or practical action.

FAQs About Alexandrite Meaning

What is the main alexandrite meaning?

Alexandrite meaning primarily centers on transformation, adaptability, balance, resilience, confidence, and maintaining a stable identity through changing circumstances. These are symbolic interpretations inspired largely by the gemstone’s dramatic color-change phenomenon.

What are alexandrite healing properties?

Alexandrite healing properties in modern crystal traditions commonly include emotional balance, confidence, creativity, resilience, self-awareness, and adaptability. These associations are spiritual beliefs rather than scientifically proven medical or psychological treatments.

Why does alexandrite change color?

Alexandrite changes color because chromium within its chrysoberyl crystal structure absorbs light selectively. Different light sources contain different proportions of wavelengths, causing the gem to appear greener under daylight-type illumination and redder or more purple under warmer light.

What chakra is alexandrite associated with?

Alexandrite is often linked with the heart chakra because of its green color, while some practitioners connect its changing red, purple, and green appearance with multiple energy centers. Chakra associations are spiritual traditions rather than scientifically established anatomical effects.

Is alexandrite a June birthstone?

Yes. Alexandrite is one of the recognized June birthstones, together with pearl and moonstone. Its rarity and color-change phenomenon make it an especially distinctive birthstone choice.

Is natural alexandrite rare?

Yes. Fine natural alexandrite is exceptionally rare, particularly in larger sizes with strong green-to-red color change, good saturation, useful clarity, and attractive cutting. Less ideal natural alexandrite also exists.

Is laboratory-grown alexandrite real?

Genuine laboratory-grown alexandrite is synthetic chrysoberyl created in a laboratory and capable of displaying the alexandrite color-change effect. It differs from natural alexandrite in origin and should be clearly disclosed as laboratory-grown.

Can alexandrite be worn every day?

Alexandrite is well suited to regular jewelry wear because it has Mohs hardness of approximately 8.5, excellent toughness, and no cleavage. It can still be scratched, chipped, lost from a damaged setting, or harmed by severe impact, so normal jewelry care remains important.

Alexandrite meaning, healing properties, chakra associations, and metaphysical interpretations come from modern spiritual and symbolic traditions rather than established medical science. Use the gemstone as a meaningful focus for reflection if that practice is useful to you, while relying on qualified healthcare, evidence, and practical action for physical or psychological concerns.