THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™
Developed by Dr. Arthur K. Robertson
The Marriage Mirror was created in response to a profound need: helping couples build deeper, healthier relationships through the power of Christ-centered communication.
A Pastor’s Question: “What Makes Marriages Work?”
Dr. Robertson’s dedication to marriage began early in his ministry. Following his ordination into the ministry in 1962 and his subsequent service as a Senior Pastor, he grew deeply concerned by the rising national divorce rates—a painful reality reflected even among some of the couples he had personally married. His profound spiritual impact on young lives was already evident in May 1972, when the Senior Class of The King’s College dedicated their yearbook to him, honoring the vibrant vitality with which he lived his faith. Driven by a desire to protect the sanctity of the home, he paused conducting marriage ceremonies in 1975 to focus entirely on a singular, urgent question: “What is it that makes marriages work?”
Through his pastoral counseling, clinical insights from his private psychotherapy practice established in New York City in 1968, and extensive research, Dr. Robertson identified these primary pain points in struggling marriages: financial stress, parenting challenges, intimacy struggles, and, above all, poor communication. He realized that a breakdown in communication was almost always the root cause behind the other three areas. If couples couldn’t talk to each other with honesty and grace, they couldn’t solve anything else.
Grounded in Research
To find a practical solution, Dr. Robertson partnered with his close friend and mentor, Dr. Lyman K. Steil—the “International Ambassador of Listening” and Founder of the International Listening Association. Dr. Steil had spent fifty years developing and teaching world-class listening frameworks as a professor at the University of Minnesota and as a corporate consultant for major organizations. When Dr. Steil prepared to retire from active training, he chose Dr. Robertson to carry his life’s work forward and gifted him his complete foundational research and materials on the dynamics of effective communication.
Trusted by Leading Organizations
Long before he tailored the material specifically for couples, Dr. Robertson conducted workshops teaching effective communication strategies to executives at Fortune 100 companies. He utilized the core listening frameworks driving this course to train leaders across a vast range of high-performance industries, athletic organizations, and government agencies, including:
- The FBI Academy (Quantico, VA)
- Coca-Cola of NY & New York Life
- IBM, General Motors & General Foods
- The New York Yankees & The New York Giants
- AT&T, Citibank, Nestlé, Mobil Oil
- And many other corporations, colleges, and universities.
Proven in the Field
Dr. Robertson quickly noticed something remarkable. In independent testing measured by a clinical psychologist, more than 90% of participants who completed Dr. Robertson’s training and inventory showed statistically significant, verified improvement in their communication skills. His core methodology was achieving massive success in the workplace.
But the true revelation came from the participants themselves: a stunning 95% of the 16,000 managers he trained admitted that their primary objective for learning the skills was to improve communication at home with their spouse.
Dr. Robertson understands that desire firsthand:
“The ultimate test and reward of these principles came in my own home. My wife, Linda, and I lived and learned them together, discovering that to truly connect, we must learn to listen to the heart as well as the mind. The methods that worked so beautifully in the boardroom worked even more powerfully in our home. It is our prayer that the Marriage Mirror will help you build your own legacy of deep trust, understanding, and lasting love.”
To bring this specialized solution directly to families, Dr. Robertson commissioned a dedicated team of over seven marriage professionals. Together, they spent years refining these corporate-tested components into an accessible, “over-the-counter” resource that couples could easily navigate together at home.
Three Foundational Pillars
Today, modified for the internet to make this research-backed methodology accessible everywhere, the Marriage Mirror program is designed to help you build a rock-solid marriage upon three foundational communication pillars that are taught and reinforced throughout the course:
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Listening: Discover how you listen to each other and build an effective listening plan.
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Speaking: Learn how to talk with one another and build a better speaking plan.
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Environment: Understand the key role your environment plays in important discussions.
A Legacy of Ministry and Leadership
The Marriage Mirror is the culmination of Dr. Robertson’s diverse, lifelong calling to serve both the Church and the culture. For over six decades, he has balanced corporate consulting, psychotherapy, and pastoral care with a deep commitment to spiritual leadership, authoring multiple books, teaching as a college professor, and serving as President of Effective Communication & Development, Inc. since 1989. His deep expertise in the field led him to become a founding member of the International Listening Association.
Dr. Robertson holds his Ph.D. from New York University alongside two master’s degrees, spanning advanced studies in economics, religion, education, and psychology.
A dedicated champion for community prayer and unity, Dr. Robertson established the Westchester County Leadership Prayer Breakfast, faithfully maintaining and leading it for 45 years. This incredible milestone was honored in 2025 by the Office of the County Executive of Westchester County, New York, with an official Proclamation naming him a Distinguished Citizen for his lifetime of exceptional service.
His exceptional contributions across education, business, and ministry have earned him consistent recognition in Outstanding Educators in America, Who’s Who in Religion, Who’s Who in the World, and in 2019, the Who’s Who Publications Board honored his career longevity and unwavering excellence with the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Marriage Mirror™ was created and co-created by:
Arthur Robertson, Ph.D.
David Benner, Ph.D.
Bernard Guerney, Ph.D.
Peter Hill, Ph.D.
Roger Petersen, Ph.D.
Jack Mills
Bob Monahan
Diantha Cavin
- THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™ and marriagemirror.com, is designed to assist and counsel married couples.
- THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™ and marriagemirror.com, is for improving your relationships and marriage, through improved communication.
- THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™ and marriagemirror.com, is an online non-downloadable counseling and therapy software system.
- THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™ and marriagemirror.com, is available by subscription only.
- THE MARRIAGE MIRROR™ and marriagemirror.com, is not a substitute for Professional help.