Philadelphia LGBTQ Counseling is the therapy branch of Emerge Wellness, a holistic health and wellness practice located in Center City. The practice was founded in 2013 by Kristina Furia whose inspiration was rooted in personal experience. As an LGBT identified teenager, Furia felt intimidated by the daunting task of finding a therapist that was both queer friendly and queer competent. Whether or not such therapists existed at that time was secondary to the fact that they simply could not be found. Realizing that she was not alone in this experience, her vision in creating LGBTQ Counseling was to easily connect community members with therapists that possess the shared-experience, understanding, and knowledge necessary to really help.