AceShowbiz - Ariana Madix says going to therapy helped her cope with the Tom Sandoval cheating scandal. The "Vanderpump Rules" regular was left devastated back in March after discovering her partner of nine years had a six-month affair with her friend and TV co-star Raquel Leviss but she says having regular counselling gave her the tools she needed to deal with her heartbreak.

She told Us Weekly magazine, "Therapy helped 100 per cent. Some of the work I was doing in therapy before all of this set me up to be in a much better position. So it could have been much worse."

The 38-year-old reality star added the cheating scandal, which was subbed "Scandoval", has made her realize she's stronger than she thought. She added, "This situation made me realise I can do hard things. The worst case scenario literally did happen and I was OK. I was like: 'Look you can handle what's thrown at you.' "

Ariana is now dating fitness coach Daniel Wai and she says their relationship is now exclusive. She also credits him with being "incredibly supportive" as she competes on TV talent show "Dancing with the Stars", flying across the U.S. to attend her performances every week.

She goes on to express her hopes for the future, revealing she wants to buy a house and star on Broadway. She added, "Owning my own home and being on Broadway, I dreamed about that as a little kid and still do."

It comes after Ariana's "Vanderpump Rules" co-star Lala Kent declared her pal has been "thriving" since the split. Lala, 33, told The Messenger, "She's definitely thriving. This is the best thing that ever happened to her." She added of Ariana's new man, "He seems like a very nice guy."