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Our Deepest Specialisation

The parenthood
transition is not
a relationship failure.

It's the most predictable, most under-supported relational transition in adult life. 67% of couples experience significant relationship decline within three years of having a baby — and almost no one supports them through it specifically. We do.

67%
of couples experience significant relationship decline within 3 years of having a baby
9×
increase in conflict in the first year after a baby arrives
80%
of first-time mothers experience moderate-to-significant relationship satisfaction decline
↑ PPD
paternal postnatal depression is significantly under-recognised and under-treated
Book Free Consult Free BBH Workshop — June 2026 Full BBH Program
What Actually Happens

What does a session
actually feel like?

Most couples arrive with a version of the same fear — that it will be awkward, confronting, or that they'll leave feeling worse. It doesn't work like that.

Sessions are warm, structured, and deliberately paced. There's no pressure to share anything before you're ready. The first session is mostly about understanding — naming what's happening in your relationship without blame, and beginning to see the cycle for what it actually is.

By the end of a typical course of work, couples consistently report feeling less like adversaries and more like teammates again. That shift — from "you're the problem" to "we're in a pattern together" — is usually what changes everything.

Book a Free 20-Min Chat First →
A Typical Course of Work
01
Session 1–2 · Assessment & Cycle Mapping
No advice, no homework. Just understanding. We map your negative cycle without blame — naming what each partner does, what it triggers, and what's actually driving it underneath. Most couples describe this as the first time they've seen their relationship clearly.
02
Session 3–4 · Emotional Access
EFT work at the attachment level. Accessing the primary emotions underneath the anger, the pursuit, the withdrawal. Fear, longing, grief — the feelings that drive the cycle but rarely get named directly. This is where the real shift begins.
03
Session 5–7 · Restructuring & Skills
With emotional safety established, Gottman tools become genuinely usable. Conflict management, repair attempts, bids for connection, the Four Horsemen antidotes. Practical skills on a foundation of actual understanding — not rehearsed scripts.
04
Session 8+ · Consolidation & Maintenance
Integration of the work. A shared framework you both understand and can return to. A maintenance plan. Most couples reach a natural completion point between 8–14 sessions — though some continue for deeper or longer-term work.
The Research Framework

The Conflict Curve —
where are you on it?

Most couples in our practice recognise the Conflict Curve the moment they see it. It maps the predictable trajectory of relationship satisfaction from pregnancy through the early years of parenthood — and shows exactly where intervention matters most.

Understanding your position on the curve isn't just useful — it changes the nature of the problem. The cycle isn't a character flaw. It's an attachment pattern under load. And attachment patterns respond to the right intervention, at any point on the curve.

Click any stage below to explore it.

Take the Conflict Curve Assessment → Book Consult
RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION BIRTH CRISIS POINT PRE ↑ REC
01
Pre-birth · Stable
Relationship generally solid. The most powerful time to intervene — before the crisis begins. Prevention here is worth six months of repair work later.
02
Early descent · Patterns forming
Disconnection beginning. Identity disruption active. Sleep deprivation amplifying every trigger. The window to intervene early and prevent the full descent.
03
Active rupture · Crisis zone
Conflict frequent. Intimacy declining. Resentment accumulating. One or both partners questioning the relationship. Urgent intervention — but recovery is absolutely possible.
04
Recovery · With the right support
Rupture doesn't mean the relationship is over. EFT and Gottman work is repair work. 70–75% of distressed couples recover with EFT — gains maintained at follow-up.
Clinical Pathways

We meet you wherever
you are on the curve.

Six distinct pathways — from prevention before baby arrives to repair work years later. Each is designed for a specific moment in the parenthood journey, with a specific clinical logic.

Antenatal · Prevention
Antenatal Couples Work

Couples sessions in the third trimester — identity transition, division of labour, relational expectations. The most powerful moment to intervene is before the crisis begins. We prepare couples for what the research predicts, so it doesn't happen by default.

EFTGottmanPrevention
Enquire →
Most Enquired
0–12 Months · Acute
New Parent Couples Therapy

Gottman and EFT applied to the specific dynamics of new parenthood — the invisible labour, the identity rupture, the pursuer-withdrawer cycle that arrives with the pram. Father-inclusive by design. EFT-first to address the emotional truth before skill-building begins.

EFT-FirstGottmanFather-Inclusive0–12mo
Enquire →
Second Baby · Preparation
Pre-Second Child Intensive

You know what happened last time. A structured intensive for couples expecting a second baby — partnership overhaul before the current system fails under increased load. The highest-leverage moment in your family's history.

IntensivePreparationSystem Rebuild
Enquire →
Post-Crisis · Repair
Relationship Repair After Children

For couples who've been in survival mode for years and are only now able to ask — what happened to us? And can we find our way back? Longer-form integrative work, Gottman and EFT, without a timeline.

Long-FormEFTRepair
Enquire →
Program · Gottman Institute
Bringing Baby Home

The gold-standard evidence-based perinatal couples program. Significantly lower relationship decline. Better co-parenting outcomes. Lower postnatal depression rates in both parents. Free community intake — June 2026.

Gottman CertifiedGroup ProgramFree June 2026
Register Free →
Individual · Father-Specific
Father Re-Engagement Pathway

For fathers who've become disengaged from their partner and/or their child — and want to change that. Individual therapeutic work before re-entering the family system. Structured, identity-affirming, and directly connected to Gabriel's research.

IndividualFather-SpecificRAD DADS
Enquire →
New Assessment
Assessment · Father Activation
Father Activation Identity Arc

An interactive self-assessment mapping your position on the paternal identity arc — from pre-awareness to fully activated relational presence. Drawing on Paquette's Activation Relationship Theory and the Grossmanns' longitudinal research. 20 questions, 5 minutes, free.

Self-AssessmentPaquetteGrossmannFree
Take the Assessment →
The Father Variable

Why father engagement
changes the whole equation.

"When fathers engage actively and consistently, relationship quality doesn't just stop declining — it reverses. Father engagement is one of the most directly addressable buffers against the conflict curve."

Research synthesis — Shapiro, Gottman & Carrère · Biobehavioral Synchrony Literature

Gabriel's research and clinical practice sit precisely at the intersection of father engagement and couple relationship quality. The two are not separate systems — they are the same system viewed from different angles.

When a father understands his role in the relational system — not just as a co-carer but as an active buffer against the conflict curve — the dynamic in the room shifts. That's the clinical leverage point that makes Ranges Counselling's parenthood work different from standard perinatal therapy.

Gabriel founded RAD DADS — Australia's first council-funded father-specific bush playgroup program — and is presenting original research at the Australian Fatherhood Research Symposium at Deakin University in May 2026.

Take the Father Activation Arc Assessment → For Referring Professionals → Free BBH Workshop →
Father involvement directly buffers relationship decline

Research consistently shows that active paternal engagement — in childcare, emotional attunement, and co-parenting collaboration — is associated with smaller declines in maternal relationship satisfaction postpartum.

Husband's early positive affect predicts wife's later recovery

Shapiro, Gottman & Carrère (2000) found that early increases in husband positive affect during conflict accounted for 35% of the variance in later wife positive affect. When men shift first, women follow.

Shapiro, Gottman & Carrère (2000)
Father unreadiness predicts lower marital satisfaction at 18 months

Fathers reporting not feeling ready in late pregnancy showed lower self-esteem, more depression, and lower marital satisfaction at 18 months postpartum. Readiness is modifiable — it's a clinical target, not a fixed trait.

Cowan, Cowan, Heming & Miller (1991)
The couple relationship shapes infant attachment security

Mothers of insecure infants experienced significantly greater marital decline in the first year than mothers of secure infants. The couple relationship and infant attachment are not separate tracks — they are the same system.

Gabriel's original research contribution

As founder of RAD DADS and presenting researcher at the Australian Fatherhood Research Symposium (Deakin, May 2026), Gabriel brings original theoretical and clinical frameworks — translating activation relationship theory and biobehavioral synchrony research into practical community and clinical intervention.

Paquette · Grossmann · Feldman · Sandseter synthesis
RAD FAMS 2026 · Free Community Program

Not ready for counselling?
Start here — it's free.

The Bringing Baby Home workshop is our free, three-session online program for new and soon-to-be parents in the Macedon Ranges. Gottman Institute certified. Delivered by Gabriel. No referral, no cost, no commitment beyond three Tuesday evenings in June.

It's not therapy. It's preparation. And for many couples, it's exactly the right first step.

Register Free — June 2026 → Full BBH Program
ProgramBringing Baby Home
Sessions3 × Tuesday Evenings
Time7:00pm – 9:00pm AEST
MonthJune 2026
FormatOnline via Zoom
CertificationGottman Institute
CostFREE 🙌
Common Questions

Before you
reach out.

Honest answers. No clinical language. No pressure.

"The couples I see aren't broken. They're in a cycle — a predictable, neurobiologically-driven pattern that has nothing to do with how much they love each other."

— Gabriel Carazo

It's not too late. 70–75% of distressed couples recover with EFT — and those gains are maintained at follow-up. The couples who feel most hopeless walking in are often the ones who experience the most significant shift. The length of time you've been struggling doesn't determine the outcome — it just means we have more cycle history to work with, which is actually useful.
Yes — and it's more useful than most people expect. Individual couples-oriented work shifts the relational system even when only one person is in the room. Working with one partner on their role in the cycle frequently changes the dynamic enough that the other partner becomes willing to engage, sometimes within a few sessions. It's a strong place to start.
This is one of the most common things we hear. Most couples therapy that doesn't work involves a general practitioner without specialist couples training. Couples therapy is a distinct clinical discipline — Gottman and EFT are specific, evidence-based frameworks developed from decades of research. The approach here is different in kind, not just style. It's worth trying again with the right framework.
Three things make it different. First, specialisation — this practice focuses specifically on the parenthood transition, which means we've seen the patterns many times and know what actually moves the dial. Second, framework integration — EFT and Gottman are sequenced deliberately: EFT first to create emotional safety, Gottman skills second so they actually land. Third, the father dimension — father engagement is treated as a clinical variable, not an afterthought.
Couples counselling is not covered by Medicare in Australia. Most private health funds don't cover it either, though individual sessions within the couples process may be claimable in some circumstances. No commitment is required at the free consultation — we can talk through all of this before you decide anything.
Most couples see meaningful shift within 6–10 sessions. Some complete the work in that time. Others continue for 14–20 sessions for deeper work. There's no set number — the pace is determined by your situation, your goals, and how you're progressing. Evening appointments are available Wednesday to Friday until 8pm, which works well for parents with limited daytime availability.
A 20-minute phone or video call — no clinical intake, no assessment, no obligation. A conversation about where you are and whether this is the right fit. You'll leave knowing clearly whether this practice can help, and what the next step looks like. Book through Calendly — no referral required.

Referring a patient or client?

GPs, midwives, maternal and child health nurses, and family services professionals — this practice offers a specialist parenthood transition pathway with a documented clinical framework, father-inclusive approach, and evidence-based methods. No GP referral required for self-referral. Free community program available June 2026.

Referrer Information →

Ideal for referral from

  • General Practitioners (GPs)
  • Midwives and obstetric teams
  • Maternal and child health nurses
  • Family services and early childhood workers
  • Psychologists and social workers
  • Perinatal mental health services
  • Playgroup Victoria and parent support groups
Take the First Step

You are not too far gone.
The work meets you where you are.

Whether you're preparing for your first baby, deep in the rupture zone, or trying to find your way back after years of disconnection — there's a pathway here for you. The free consult is exactly that: free, and without commitment.

Book Free 20-Min Consult Free BBH Workshop — June 2026 Father Activation Arc Assessment Take the Conflict Curve Assessment