Today we’d like to introduce you to Reagan Burgenheim.
Hi Reagan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I had been on ssdi for many years, and after I got sober in 2013, I realized I was getting better and would need to start working. Since I was in recovery from substance abuse and mental health issues, I knew I needed to work in substance abuse treatment. Once I began working, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I needed to help people in a different capacity, as I was just a medical records clerk in 2019. I learned of LADAC II, which stands for licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor, level two. Level twos can have a private practice, and since I was well on my way to completing a bachelor’s in psychology, I would qualify. I finished my bachelor’s, finished a master’s in business administration, and finished the licensure requirements all by 2024. I started my private practice: Empowerful, but many insurance payers won’t work with my type of licensure, and clients just weren’t coming. I have since merged with Free to Be Therapy in Murfreesboro and began working with my friend and colleague in August of this year. I’m still struggling to find clients, but I am hopeful. I am currently also caring for my mother, and I have moved in with her recently. I hope to finish another master’s degree someday, this time in mental health counseling, to better help people and their families who are suffering from addiction.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. Trying to work in private practice is not easy as a LADAC because many insurance payers will not credential me. On top of trying to make enough money to live, I am still an addict in recovery myself, and the challenges can be a lot sometimes. But I keep trudging on, as we say, and I make the best out of life with the help of my young son, my colleagues and friends, and of course, my family in recovery.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Empowerful?
I have decided to concentrate on building a practice with my friend and colleague’s practice: Free to Be Therapy. I specialize in substance abuse counseling, and we also have a mental health specialist who works with people who are outside of my scope of practice. In other words, anyone who does not have substance abuse issues. I am currently working on completing cognitive processing therapy to better help clients who suffer from trauma. CPT is a leading treatment for PTSD, and as some may not know, PTSD is a likely antecedent to substance abuse issues. I feel what sets Free to Be apart from other private practices is that we emphasize authenticity. That is, we want our clients to realize their true selves, and we help them by being ourselves. Another thing that sets us apart is that I specialize in substance abuse treatment, not mental health. I respect and admire all clinicians that specialize in mental health, of course, but how many of them can also say they have a clinician who specializes in substance abuse primarily? I would like the readers to know that we offer in-person sessions as well as telehealth, we offer sliding scale prices for those who qualify, and we, as a group, accept Aetna insurance and are working on being credentialed with Blue Cross Blue Shield. One thing we’re excited about is offering group psychotherapy in 2026 to help people who may not be able to afford individual therapy get the benefits of therapy at a lower price.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t believe in good or bad luck. I believe life happens every day and some days are better than others, sure, but no matter if it’s good or bad, we have to keep on trudging because the good days far outweigh the bad days.
Pricing:
- 150 per individual session (for my services)
- 175 for couples and families
- 150 per addiction severity index assessment
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freetobetherapy.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reagan-burgenheim/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1390991
