Virtual care for women in Laguna Beach
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Laguna Beach, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Laguna Beach?
Laguna Beach women have a virtual option in Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., a family physician certified by the ABFM who is also IFM certified (FMCP-M) and a certified menopause practitioner through The Menopause Society (MSCP). By telehealth, she and her team treat perimenopause and menopause, provide HRT when appropriate, and dig into gut, thyroid and autoimmune problems that have gone unexplained.
Leaving Laguna Beach means PCH in one direction or the other, or Laguna Canyon Road inland, and none of them is quick on a busy day. That makes it easy to skip one more appointment, especially if the last one ended with being told your labs look normal. If you still feel tired, foggy or not like yourself, normal is not an answer. Dr. Maren's team looks further, with a complete thyroid panel, hormones, gut and nutrient testing, and talks the results through with you by video. The canyon road can wait.
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 Laguna Beach?
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 Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach?
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 Laguna Beach or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Conventional labs are drawn at a lab close to Laguna Beach, or wherever your week takes you in Orange County, and your team reviews every marker with you. 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 Laguna Beach and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Laguna Beach, and throughout the Orange County coast.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Laguna Beach: FAQs
Do I have to drive to Irvine or Newport Beach for appointments?
No. Every appointment with Dr. Maren's team takes place by video, so there is nothing to drive to. Your blood work is done at a nearby lab, and you can join visits from home, which keeps Laguna Canyon Road and PCH out of your health plan entirely.
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 check for mold or other environmental exposures?
Yes. If your home has had a water leak or visible mold, or your symptoms have never fit a single diagnosis, it may make sense to test for mold, heavy metals and other environmental exposures. Dr. Maren is a member of the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness (ISEAI), and she reads those results next to your hormone, thyroid and gut findings rather than on their own.
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.
Is there a perimenopause doctor near Laguna Beach?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren is licensed in California and sees Laguna Beach women by video for perimenopause, including the years when cycles are still regular but sleep, mood and weight have started to shift. She tests rather than guesses, and hormone therapy is an option when it is right for you.
How do I become a patient in Laguna Beach?
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 Laguna Beach.
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 Laguna Beach 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 Laguna Beach and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.