Virtual care for women in Danville and Alamo
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Danville and Alamo, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Danville and Alamo?
If you live in Danville, Alamo or Blackhawk, Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., can guide your functional medicine and menopause care through video visits. Her credentials: family medicine board certification (ABFM), functional medicine certification (FMCP-M) from IFM, and menopause certification (MSCP) from The Menopause Society. She treats perimenopause and menopause, with HRT when appropriate, along with brain fog and fatigue, thyroid conditions, autoimmune disease and metabolic changes.
The years between 40 and 60 are full ones in the San Ramon Valley: a commute up I-680, kids with packed calendars, parents who need more of your time. Somewhere in there your sleep, mood and energy start to slip, and it is easy to call it stress. Sometimes it is. It can also be perimenopause, a thyroid that has drifted or blood sugar that has quietly changed. Dr. Maren's team sorts out which, by video from your home in Danville, Alamo or Blackhawk, so care never competes with the drive. Mount Diablo will still be there this weekend, and you deserve to enjoy it feeling like yourself again.
Read how she approaches perimenopause and menopause, hormone replacement therapy and thyroid care, or start with Christine's journey.
What does Dr. Maren treat for women in Danville and Alamo?
Hormones, thyroid, gut, metabolism and the immune system all influence one another, so she treats them as one connected picture.
Sleep, mood, hot flashes, cycles and weight, treated as one connected picture.
Bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, prescribed and monitored by a physician.
A full thyroid panel with antibodies, not just TSH, and medication tuned to how you feel.
Testing for SIBO, dysbiosis and infections, then a plan to remove, repair and rebuild.
Insulin resistance, muscle and body composition, with GLP-1 therapy when appropriate.
Irregular cycles, androgen excess and estrogen dominance, traced to the root cause.
Finding the triggers that keep inflammation going, alongside the care you already have.
How is Dr. Maren's care different from a typical visit?
She combines the power to prescribe with the precision of functional medicine, and she looks for the root cause instead of treating one symptom at a time.
| What you get | Dr. Maren | Typical general visit |
|---|---|---|
| Training | Board-certified physician, IFM certified (FMCP-M) and MSCP | Varies, and menopause training is often limited |
| Hormone therapy | Prescribes bioidentical HRT when appropriate | May avoid it or offer one option |
| Testing | Hormones, a full thyroid panel, insulin, nutrients and gut health | Often one hormone level or TSH alone |
| The big picture | Sleep, mood, weight, gut, libido and energy together | Symptoms treated one at a time |
| Time with you | A 90-minute initial case review | Often a brief appointment |
| Follow-up | Regular follow-ups and portal messaging between visits | Often a one-time prescription |
When should women in Danville and Alamo see a hormone or menopause specialist?
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Irregular, heavier or closer-together periods
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Anxiety, irritability or low mood
- Brain fog and forgetfulness
- Weight gain around the middle
- Bloating, reflux or a gut that will not settle
- Exhausted, but told your labs are normal
These symptoms are common, but they are not something you simply have to live with. See the early signs of perimenopause.
How does virtual care work if you live in Danville and Alamo?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in California and that the practice is the right fit.
Talk it through
If it looks like a fit, you will be invited to a complimentary discovery call with the team.
Meet from home
Your 90-minute initial case review and initial nutrition consultation happen by video, from home in Danville or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
A lab near you in the San Ramon Valley can draw your conventional labs, and the team explains what the numbers mean on a video visit, with no trip into Oakland. Your step-by-step plan follows, with regular follow-ups and secure portal messaging between visits.
What is Dr. Maren's approach?
Her signature three-pillar approach: address root causes, optimize hormones and build resilience. We don't guess. We test.
Address the root cause
We go deeper to uncover and treat what is driving your symptoms, starting with gut health and its links to the immune system, hormones, metabolism and nutrients.
Optimize hormones
With comprehensive labs and clinical expertise, we dial in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, thyroid medications and innovative therapies like peptides and GLP-1s, when appropriate.
Build resilience
By integrating individualized nutrition, movement, lifestyle and mindset strategies, we help you strengthen your foundation for long-term health, energy and vitality.
Serving Danville and Alamo and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Danville, Alamo and Blackhawk, and throughout the San Ramon Valley in the East Bay.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Danville and Alamo: FAQs
Can I do a video visit while I'm up at Lake Tahoe?
Yes, if you are on the California side. Dr. Maren is licensed in California, so a visit from Truckee, Tahoe City or South Lake Tahoe works. Incline Village and Stateline are in Nevada, where she is not licensed, so schedule those visits for when you are back in the San Ramon Valley or anywhere else in California.
Can a functional medicine doctor prescribe hormone therapy?
It depends on the doctor's license. Dr. Maren is a board-certified family physician as well as a certified functional medicine practitioner, so she can prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and testosterone when appropriate, along with thyroid medication and other treatments, and adjust them as your labs and symptoms change.
Is there a certified menopause specialist for Danville, Alamo and Blackhawk?
Yes. Dr. Maren holds the MSCP, The Menopause Society's credential for clinicians focused on menopause care, and she cares for women across the San Ramon Valley by telehealth. Hot flashes, sleep, mood, bone health and deciding whether bioidentical hormones are appropriate for you all fall within that expertise.
Can Dr. Maren help with brain fog in perimenopause?
Yes. Losing words or focus is a common complaint during the menopause transition, and it is unsettling when work and family depend on you. Dr. Maren looks at sleep, estrogen and progesterone, thyroid function, iron, B12 and blood sugar, since several of these can stack up, then treats what the testing shows rather than telling you it is just age.
How do I become a patient in Danville?
Start with the brief online application. If it looks like a good fit, you will get an email inviting you to book a complimentary discovery call with the team. If it is a match, you will be scheduled for a 90-minute initial case review and an initial nutrition consultation, all by video from home in Danville.
Do you accept insurance?
We do not contract with insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. This allows us to provide personalized, unhurried care without the limitations of insurance-based models. However, the vast majority of patients use their insurance to cover conventional lab work, and many also use HSA or FSA funds to pay for our services.
Can Dr. Maren be my primary care doctor?
No. The practice functions as a specialty consulting service. You will still need a primary care provider near Danville for general medical needs, physical exams and urgent issues like infections or injuries.
Ready to feel like yourself again, only better?
Dr. Maren and her team see women in Danville and Alamo and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.