About Lifestyle Choices’ Founder
Vicki Richards Upchurch was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas where she received her B.S. in Nursing from Lamar University. She is a Charter Member of Kappa Kappa, a chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, International Honor Society for Nurses.
Initially Vicki worked as an LVN and then as a RN after obtaining her B.S. degree. For the first five years in nursing, she worked with adolescents and adults at Beaumont Neurological Center. She later worked with Oncology patients where she facilitated the patient/family support group as well as the nurses’ support group. The focus of the patient/family group was in learning how to cope with the various emotions often experienced with cancer patients, such as anger, sadness, and grief. More importantly, she also encouraged hope. When facilitating the nurses’ support group, she dealt with these same emotions but from a different perspective. Vicki was responsible for both of these groups while working as a staff nurse for Baptist Hospital in Beaumont. This was the beginning of her Life Coaching experiences
In 1988, Vicki moved to Houston to start a medical staffing agency. After successfully doing so, she spent more than 20 years in Nursing, Management, Healthcare Sales and Sales Management for several large national home infusion companies. These experiences provided her with valuable skills including management, training, personnel development, and communication. She continued improving her Life Coaching skills, enabling and encouraging her employees, friends and family members toward positive personal transformation.
For many years, Vicki has been very active in a community support group in which people come together to help each other by offering experience, strength, and hope regarding common challenges. Vicki also facilitated a CoDependents Anonymous group for two years where people could learn and practice new life skills in a safe environment. In 2007 Vicki became a licensed provider for HeartMath® which is an evidenced-based stress reduction and emotional management program and is a major component of her coaching practice.
Now, Vicki lives with her husband Andy in the Clear Lake, Texas area, enjoying music, sailing, gardening, friends and family; a life away from the corporate world. She savors a peaceful and fun-filled existence, helping others find their own successful and rewarding lives.
Vicki created Lifestyle Choices, a Life and Wellness Coaching organization, to assist people in securing the tools necessary for creating the life to which they aspire, managing stress and encouraging personal development.