Dorit Kemsley Reveals She and PK 'Are Not Talking About Reconciliation': 'There's a Lot of Work to Do' (Exclusive)

"Once he made the decision to get sober and to take the journey, things became very clear, and he had a lot of work to do on himself," Dorit tells PEOPLE

Dorit and Paul “PK” Kemsley are taking things one day at a time.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star recently opened up to PEOPLE about how she is navigating her separation from PK after 9 years of marriage. After revealing that he was “a full-blown alcoholic,” Dorit says they are focusing on healing before they consider repairing their marriage.

“We are not talking about reconciliation,” she shares. “We're not in that part. I think that there's a lot of work to do, absolutely. The kids come first and co-parenting is of the utmost importance to both of us, and I think that the only way for us to do that and to do it well is for us to remain amicable and friends. That's always my first choice. Now with PK, sometimes he can choose whether or not we're going to stay in that space, so we're navigating it.”

Related: Why Did RHOBH's Dorit Kemsley and Husband PK Split? Looking Back at Their 9-Year Marriage and What They've Said About Their Separation

Although there has been speculation about the couple’s relationship for years, Dorit maintains she was never dishonest about their marriage.

“PK and I deciding to separate, that was even done amicably,” she says. “And we had gone through a really tumultuous few years, but we were not in a place where we were separated living under the same roof. We were navigating some muddy waters.”

“There's still a lot of love there,” she continues. “This was a choice and a decision that was made. It was made mutually, initiated by PK, and that was in a time where, okay, we've been trying to work at this, we have good moments, we have bad moments.”

Related: Why RHOBH's Dorit Kemsley and Her Husband PK Have Chosen Not to Tell Their Kids They're Separated

The announcement of their separation sparked confusion among RHOBH viewers because Dorit had said just four months prior that she and PK were the best they had ever been at the season 13 reunion. She says, however, that statement was true at the time.

“When I had shot the show, PK and I were never in places that were negative and trying to hide it,” she notes. “I don't think you can actually do that, to be honest. When I shot the reunion and Andy had asked how we were doing, PK was four months newly sober, and it was an entirely different world.”

“A lot of the things we didn't have answers for,” she adds. “If PK and I were going to separate last year, I would've talked about it. If he was going to choose to get sober or he realized that he had a problem with alcohol, we would've spoken about it. But the nature of this season, a lot of things came to light and I was sharing them as they were coming. And that's throughout the entire season.”

Dorit says that the deeper PK got into his sobriety and his road to recovery, the more he realized the importance of prioritizing himself during that time. To support him, Dorit explains that their separation was an important part.

“Him and I were super close and I think that once he made the decision to get sober and to take the journey, things became very clear, and he had a lot of work to do on himself,” she says. “And I think in that, that was a contributing factor to us also deciding to [say], ‘Okay, let's separate, take some time apart, work on ourselves individually and collectively and see where we end up.’ And I hope the audience takes it for what it is. This is not, ‘Oh, I'm finally going to be honest.’ This is me being open about this is, what it's been.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo, and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.