Asa R. Sphar III, Ph.D.  Founder / Director

In addition to currently serving as Director of CSOA, Dr. Sphar has also served as Chair and Professor of Psychology and Counseling in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS); and as Director of Clinical Training (1992-2007).; Dr. Sphar also occupied the Baptist Community Ministries Chair of Pastoral Care and Counseling during his tenure at the seminary.; He holds the following degrees: Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Psychology and Counseling; Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFC); and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Psychology and Counseling. At the completion of his graduate studies he received the Outstanding Student Award and the Broadman Seminarian Award for his graduating class. His other credentials, memberships, and recognitions include the following: Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana; Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas;Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Louisiana;Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas; National Certified Counselor; Approved Supervisor/Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT);Charter Member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC); Approved Supervisor for Marriage and Family Therapy (LA); Approved Suupervisor for Licensed Professional Counselors (LA)and a member of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies.

In order to continue his commitment to professional development, he continues to attend numerous workshops and conferences emphasizing a variety of individual and family issues and serves as a presenter for these as well.  For two years he co-hosted a weekly Christian radio program called "Insights to Life" which helped to address the emotional, relational, and spiritual needs of the greater New Orleans area.  His seventeen years in clinical practice and role as Director of Clinical Training at NOBTS have served to sharpen the application of his clinical skills.  Dr. Sphar and his wife Donna celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this past year.  They have two daughters, ages 22 and 26.

Dr. Courtney Putnam, Ph.D., LPC, LMFT

Dr. Courtney Putnam holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Counseling from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Her Ph.D. dissertation involved extensive research on Reconciliation-Focused Counseling (RFC), the unique Christian therapy model developed by Dr. Asa Sphar. In addition to her doctoral degree, she has received an M.A. in Professional Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.  Prior to joining Counseling Services of Austin, Dr. Putnam served as the Assistant Director of Counseling Services of New Orleans, where in addition to counseling, she supervised counseling students during their clinical internship process.  She has also served as Adjunct Faculty for the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She has taught courses in Family Systems, Clinical Marriage and Family Assessment, Family Development, Human Sexuality, Cognitive-Behavioral Marriage and Family Therapy, Abnormal Psychology, Health Psychology, and Adult Psychology.  During her doctoral program, Dr. Putnam received the Outstanding Student of the Year Award from the Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (LAMFT). She served as the LAMFT Liaison to MFT training programs in the southern region of Louisiana for two years. 

Dr. Putnam especially enjoys working with couples, focusing on issues such as communication, forgiveness, trust-building, healthy sexuality, and marriage enrichment. She also works with individuals, focusing on issues such as relational difficulties, anxiety, anger management, depression, grief, stress, spiritual concerns, and other issues. She also enjoys leading workshops and seminars to encourage and equip people to live in healthy relationships with others.  Her professional associations include: Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Louisiana, Board Eligible National Certified Counselor, Member of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies, Member of the American Association for Christian Counselors, Member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and Member of the Louisiana Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Putnam and her husband Alan recently celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary.