Reality star Kristin Cavallari credits couple's counseling with saving her relationship with NFL player Jay Cutler.

The former The Hills regular began dating the Chicago Bears quarterback in late 2010 and they became engaged just months later, in April, 2011.

However, the relationship faltered and Kristin called off the romance three months later. They subsequently reconciled and wed in 2013, and are now parents to three children.

Kristin has now opened up about what went wrong the first time around in her new book, Balancing in Heels: My Journey to Health, Happiness, and Making It All Work, admitting something about their fast-tracked relationship just didn't "feel right".

"I always go after what I want in life, with men or otherwise, and I never settle," the 29-year-old wrote. "If something doesn't feel right, I act on it. It's just who I've always been."

Describing her mix of emotions at the time of their split, she continued, "At that moment, something wasn't right. A few things needed to change, and I knew the only way Jay would see how serious I was, was if I ended the relationship."

The TV personality confesses she was "dying inside" following the break-up, but she reveals she would have been miserable if she hadn't cleared a few things up with the sportsman before tying the knot.

One of the main issues of contention was Kristin's career, suggesting Jay wanted her to be a stay-at-home mom: "If I stayed at home, I wouldn't be happy," she mused. "And would probably end up resenting Jay for it."

They decided to visit a therapist to help mend their relationship, and Kristin insists counseling changed everything for the pair.

"I credit (our therapist) for saving our relationship," she explained. "She opened up our eyes to the other person's perspective and gave us great tools for communication... We still periodically see her to this day."

The couple is now proud parents to sons Camden, three, and Jaxon, 22 months, and daughter Saylor, three months.