Why The Bachelor‘s Ben Higgins & Lauren Bushnell Are In Couples Counseling

One of the strangest things about The Bachelor franchise is the purportedly seamless transition from one person dating 25 people to two people committing to a one-on-one monogamous relationship. He or she just professed love to two other contestants — flipping the switch to becoming a real couple has always felt like a stretch. But Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell are getting real about the rocky road between the end of The Bachelor and their happily ever after. The couple opened up about their relationship to People. “There are so many weird elements to being in a relationship after The Bachelor," Bushnell told the magazine. "We’ve gotten in arguments like any other couple, but about some things that other couples wouldn’t have to fight about, like the fact that we met when he was dating other women. You can say that’s what I signed up for, but it’s still real life and it’s still hard.” Higgins acknowledges that while they are "not the perfect couple," they are "trying really hard" and "love each other a lot." To that end, the couple is current seeing a couples counselor at their local church in Denver before tying the knot. (The date is TBD, but they're aiming for a winter wedding .) "We want to get a foundation that is healthy and pure and honest, with some help from a mediator,” Higgins explained to People. Smart move, if you ask us. “Bachelor or not, our life is not easy to navigate. We have our struggles. But we won’t give up. And for every argument, we’re stronger for it. Bushnell added, "I am so committed to Ben. I love him so much and at the end of the day, I want to spend my life with him." We'll get a firsthand look at their relationship on October 11, when their new reality show, Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?, premieres on Freeform.