"Due to" is fairly versatile and can be used in place of "because," though it's not all that bad to use "because." I think as long as you reduce redundancy you'll be fine.
"Having that said," is a good option to replace "for this reason" with.
To stray away from your original question...
I think the first sentence should be reworded. Your em dash doesn't make much sense here. You split midway through and start a new thought without finishing your first one. Usually the em dash is used to break a sentence, but still continue the clause whilst keeping on topic.