Virtual care for women in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., sees women in Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach by video. Family medicine is her foundation, with ABFM board certification; functional medicine is her method, with FMCP-M certification from the Institute for Functional Medicine; and menopause care is her focus, with MSCP certification. Together they shape her work on perimenopause and menopause, HRT when appropriate, gut health and SIBO, thyroid disease and PCOS.
Del Mar and Solana Beach sit on the coast, with Rancho Santa Fe a few miles inland, and the Torrey Pines trails and the beach are never far away. When staying active starts to feel harder, with your gut unsettled, sleep broken and energy gone by midafternoon, those may not be three separate problems. Dr. Maren's starting point is that everything is connected: gut, thyroid, hormones and immune health all influence one another. From Del Mar to Rancho Santa Fe, her team looks at the whole picture by video and builds one plan instead of three.
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 Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe?
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 Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe 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 Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe?
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 Del Mar or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Your conventional blood draw can be done in North County, close to Del Mar, Solana Beach or Rancho Santa Fe, and your results are then reviewed with you in depth. 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 Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach, and throughout the North County coast of San Diego.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe: FAQs
Does Dr. Maren see women in Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe?
Yes. Dr. Maren sees women in Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe, and in nearby communities such as Carmel Valley and Encinitas, all by telehealth. Since visits are virtual, living by the beach or a few miles inland makes no difference to your care.
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 doctor near Del Mar who treats both gut problems and hormones?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren treats gut conditions such as SIBO, IBS, reflux and food sensitivities alongside perimenopause and menopause, because the two are often linked. Hormone shifts can change digestion, and gut health can affect how hormones are processed, so her team tests both and builds a single plan, with hormone therapy when appropriate.
Do I need to be in California during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in California, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
What kind of testing does Dr. Maren use?
More than a standard panel. Depending on your history, testing can include sex hormones, a full thyroid panel with antibodies, metabolic and nutrient markers, immune function, stool and SIBO breath testing for the gut, and hidden factors such as mold, heavy metals and environmental toxins. Each test is chosen because the result could change your plan.
How do I become a patient in Del Mar?
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 Del Mar.
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 Del Mar 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 Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.