Virtual care for women in Lafayette and Moraga
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Lafayette and Moraga, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Lafayette and Moraga?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., brings three certifications to her telehealth care for women in Lafayette and Moraga: family medicine board certification (ABFM), functional medicine certification through IFM (FMCP-M) and menopause certification through The Menopause Society (MSCP). She treats weight and metabolic changes, low libido and sleep disruption in perimenopause and menopause, gut problems and thyroid disease, and prescribes hormones when they are right for you.
A morning loop around the Lafayette Reservoir or a long walk on the Lafayette-Moraga Trail can tell you a lot about how your body is doing. Maybe the hills feel harder than they did, your sleep is lighter, or you finish a walk more drained than energized. Those are real signals, not character flaws. Dr. Maren's team looks at hormones, insulin, thyroid and body composition together, then adjusts protein, strength training, sleep and, when appropriate, hormone therapy so the effort you are already putting in has a better chance of paying off.
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 Lafayette and Moraga?
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 Lafayette and Moraga 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 Lafayette and Moraga?
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 Lafayette or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Conventional blood work happens at a lab near Lafayette or Moraga, and each number is reviewed with you and tied to a clear next step. 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 Lafayette and Moraga and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Lafayette and Moraga, and throughout Lamorinda in the East Bay.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Lafayette and Moraga: FAQs
I walk the reservoir loop most days but still gained weight around my middle. Why?
Midlife hormone changes are a common reason. As estrogen falls, the body tends to store more fat around the abdomen, insulin sensitivity can slip and muscle becomes harder to keep, so the same routine stops producing the same results. Dr. Maren's team checks metabolic markers, then adds strength training and protein targets, with GLP-1 therapy when appropriate.
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.
Can Dr. Maren help with low libido in perimenopause or menopause?
Yes. Low desire often has more than one cause, from falling estrogen and testosterone to poor sleep, stress, thyroid problems and vaginal dryness. Dr. Maren looks at the whole picture, and when it is right for you, hormone therapy, including testosterone for women, can be part of the plan. It is a common concern and a fair thing to bring up.
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.
I wake up at 3 a.m. most nights. Could that be hormonal?
Yes, it can be. Waking in the early hours is common in perimenopause, and it can be tied to falling progesterone, night sweats, blood sugar swings or stress. Dr. Maren looks at hormones, thyroid and metabolic markers along with habits like alcohol and late meals and signs of sleep apnea, such as snoring. When it is right for you, progesterone may become part of the plan.
How do I become a patient in Lafayette?
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 Lafayette.
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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette and Moraga and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.