Most everyone experiencing difficulties in their relationship says that poor communication is the problem and that learning how to communicate better will be the solution. Much has been written about understanding how to communicate effectively. What may be explicitly communicated, however, may not be helpful. In fact, some couples just learn to communicate more clearly what their problems are. While useful in some respects, the communication does not, in and of itself, solve the problem. Other factors must also be considered. Communications and self-help training are in many ways like a diet: they may have a short term positive outcome, but the effects don’t last long. After a while, the couple is back where they started.
Based upon a developmental model of relationships, the Four C's model of Couple Power™ developed by clinical psychologists Phyllis Koch-Sheras and Peter Sheras presents a matrix of tasks that has a built-in lasting effect on a couple. The basis of this explicit model for the establishment and maintenance of a successful couple is building a strong supportive structure for the relationship.
Like any edifice under construction, a solid foundation is crucial to the integrity and design of a relationship. No architect or contractor would build a house without being sure it was supported by a solid framework. The same is true of a couple relationship. If a couple naively assumes that love or communication is enough, they may find that the 
relationship they created is missing some crucial elements that make it vulnerable to deterioration and collapse. On the other hand, if their relationship is grounded in something solid, they can weather just about any “storm” or unexpected situation that may occur.
It is the task of building a solid foundation for a relationship and the means for maintaining it that are addressed by the Four C's of Couple Power™ . Built on a strong foundation of commitment, a relationship is nurtured by shared cooperation as a team, empowered by communication and language and supported by a community of peers. The Four C's are the basic tasks required for achieving Couple Power™ . They are not so much things to do or achieve as they are practices or processes to follow.
All couples are already creating some kind of relationship. This model helps couples consciously choose to create together the kind of relationship they want over time. The Four C's, in order, are then: Commitment, Cooperation, Communication and Community. Commitment involves using the power of language to create together a powerful joint vision for the future, one based on what is possible, not what is wrong. Cooperation is based on learning how to operate as a powerful team together, one that goes beyond the need of the individual to commit to the couple as an entity, Communication involves learning a kind of special speaking and listening that comes from a commitment to be together and reaching a common agreed upon goal. This is most effective only after commitment is established and cooperation skills are learned. Community is about being part of a group of couples who mutually support each other’s vision for being part of a fulfilling relationship.
These tasks have a cumulative effect, and although interrelated, each one must be completed before the next can be successfully undertaken. Once accomplished, these tasks are the bedrock of a lasting, joyful and profoundly fulfilling relationship. The behaviors and techniques required to learn and maintain the Four C's are presented in Couple Power™ workshops and consultations.
