Dorinda Medley Is Leaving Real Housewives of New York City : 'What a Journey This Has Been'

Dorinda Medley Is Leaving Real Housewives of New York City: 'What a Journey This Has Been'

"She was not fired – it was a mutual decision that was discussed and then ultimately made by both Dorinda and Bravo," a source tells PEOPLE

Dorinda Medley's time as a Housewife is coming to an end.

After five seasons on the show, Medley announced her plans to leave The Real Housewives of New York City on social media Tuesday.

"What a journey this has been. I have laughed and cried and tried to Make it Nice..." she wrote. "But all things must come to an end. This was a great outlet for me to heal when my late husband Richard passed away. I have met so many interesting people and learned so much about myself, about life and about women along the way."

She continued: "Thank you to Bravo and NBC for the incredible ride and to my cast mates for constant stimulation and entertainment. I wish you all health, happiness and success. Clip!"

A source tells PEOPLE that Medley chose to leave the franchise: "She was not fired – it was a mutual decision that was discussed and then ultimately made by both Dorinda and Bravo."

Bravo did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

Medley joined the hit franchise in 2015 during season 7, which also saw Bethenny Frankel's temporary return to the show. Fans have watched as the mother of one has coped with the loss of her husband, Dr. Richard Medley, and find her own place in the Big Apple.

Her announcement comes as season 12 continues to air on Bravo. It has been an emotional one for Medley, who previously told PEOPLE she was struggling in her personal life when the cameras started rolling.

Sophy Holland/Bravo Dorinda Medley

"I was going through a lot of changes that were really taking a toll in my personal life," she said. "There were moments where I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this. It’s too much, it’s too big.' "

Some of those challenges included her shifting relationship with longtime boyfriend John Mahdessian, as well as a remodel of her new apartment in New York City and a broken rib she suffered over the summer. Her beloved Bluestone Manor — her house in Great Barrington, Massachusetts — also had a massive flood that required a massive renovation.

Sophy Holland/Bravo The Real Housewives of New York City

Throughout it all, Medley said she learned a lot about herself — and was finally able to embrace the fact that she is “a strong, empowered woman.”

“I feel very happy with who I am, how I am, and where I am in life now,” she insisted. "I’m a really great me now. I’m sort of in a really good, empowered place, and I can run myself emotionally, financially, physically, and spiritually. What comes of that, we’ll see!”

Earlier this season, Medley also opened up about her split from Mahdessian after seven years together.

"The breakup with John is sad. I mean, it's terrible. But I also know that I have to do what's best for me now," Medley, 55, said on the show.

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"Endings are painful, but they’re sometimes good and healthy and needed," she continued. "It’s so easy just to keep communicating and just falling into old habits. Because I have a feeling if I didn’t do this, it would just keep staying plateaued for 10 years, 15 years. And then what?"

As Medley explained, the two didn't have a major falling-out, but they'd grown apart over time.

"I love John and I'll always love John. There's no big fight," Medley said, adding that the two were on good terms and that Mahdessian would "always have a seat at my table."

"We love each other," Medley said. "I'm just doing a little reset."

RHONY also stars Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan and Leah McSweeney. Tinsley Mortimer announced her exit earlier this year to move to Chicago.

The Real Housewives of New York City airs Thursdays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.