“Selling Sunset” alum Heather El Moussa has confessed that she and husband Tarek El Moussa are going through “couples therapy,” insisting that the process has only served to strengthen their marriage.
The 38-year-old reality TV tycoon lifted the lid on how she and Tarek, 44, are using therapy to add depth to their romance, hitting back at the stereotypical view that it is a sign of weakness in a relationship.
While speaking to Fox News, Heather revealed, “Tarek and I are in couples therapy, which I’m not ashamed to say. I think people are shocked to hear that.”
Heather, who tied the knot with Tarek in 2021, further explained that blending your life with another person in marriage takes work—noting that she and her spouse are willing to go the extra mile to create healthy patterns.
“Creating a healthy partnership … there’s ebbs and flows in marriage. There’s ups and downs. Everyone starts out like, ‘Oh, this is going to be perfect, we’re going to be a happy little family’ … a lot of real life comes into play,” she added.
She advised that therapy shouldn’t be used as a last ditch resort to save a marriage; instead it should be relied on as a tool to build on the foundation a couple has already set.
“Therapy in general can be a beautiful thing. You learn a lot about each other, about yourself, past traumas, past childhood issues … that you bring into your marriage,” she said.
Although Heather admitted that she and Tarek have many differences, she noted that they are both committed to making things work.
“In the end, we’re two completely different people just trying to grow together, grow individually, raise happy, healthy little humans, and be the best versions of ourselves,” she continued.
Her admission into married life comes just weeks after the couple escaped to a mountain cabin with their son, Tristan, 2, and their parents.
She took to Instagram to share some heartwarming images from the couple’s “happy place,” offering a glimpse of the retreat where they have been embracing nature.
Just weeks after purchasing a new $5.2 million home in Newport Beach, CA, the duo appeared thrilled to get the chance to escape somewhere new—particularly after starting the rigorous process of filming Season 2 of their HGTV show “The Flip Off.”
The photos showed Heather, her mom and dad, and Tarek and Tristan taking strolls through the woods, relaxing by a lake, and pausing to snap a few selfies along the way.
“Nothing refuels the soul like fresh mountain air and family time,” she wrote in the caption. “Grateful for slow mornings, daily nature walks, messy hair, and seeing Tristan in his full element. The mountains and being outside is his happy place!”
It is unclear where exactly the couple retreated to. However, they are known for heading to Running Springs, CA, which is where her parents live and her hometown, when they need to take a break from their packed schedule.
Their relaxing trip came just days after Tarek’s ex-wife, Christina Haack, revealed that he was the one to let HGTV know that her most recent ex, Josh Hall, needed to be removed from their shared series.
Christina, 42, who split from Hall in July 2024 after nearly three years together, opened up about the aftermath of her tumultuous relationship in a wide-ranging interview with People—revealing how Tarek was the one who rushed to her aid in the wake of her marriage ending.
The mother of three told the outlet that the moment she and Hall, 44, called it quits had a massive impact not only on her personal life, but also on her professional career in front of the cameras, leaving everyone questioning if “The Flip Off” would still go ahead.
Initially, the series was meant to feature Tarek and Heather competing against Christina and Josh in a couples’ renovation competition—with filming already underway by the time the latter duo split.
Luckily, Christina recalled how Tarek came to the rescue and made sure she could focus on healing her broken heart, opting to call the network producers himself to alert them that Josh would not be returning to the show.
“Tarek told our attorney and told the network for me that Josh would no longer be a part of the show,” she explained. “They said, ‘No problem. That’s fine.’ They just said, ‘We need Christina to have a scene where she tells you, Tarek, that Josh is no longer going to be a part of the show.’”