Virtual care for women in Los Altos
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Los Altos, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Los Altos?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., cares for women in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills through video visits. Her credentials include board certification in family medicine (ABFM), certification as an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Professional, Medical (FMCP-M), and the MSCP, The Menopause Society's credential for menopause care. She treats perimenopause, PCOS and hormone imbalances, thyroid conditions and gut issues, with bioidentical hormones when appropriate for you.
What is happening to me at 43? Dr. Maren knows that thought from the inside. In her early 40s, perimenopause arrived with broken sleep, irregular cycles, gut trouble, anxiety and weight gain she could not explain, all while raising three children and running a growing practice. What brought her back was data: advanced testing, treating her gut and getting her hormones right. That experience shapes how she listens. If you are in Los Altos or up in Los Altos Hills, carrying a career, kids or aging parents and wondering why you no longer feel like yourself, you do not have to wait it out.
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 Los Altos?
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 Los Altos 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 Los Altos?
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 Los Altos or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Your conventional blood draw happens at a lab near you in Santa Clara County, and the team explains the results clearly, one marker at a time. 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 Los Altos and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, and throughout Silicon Valley in Santa Clara County.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Los Altos: FAQs
My periods haven't stopped yet. Is it too soon to see a hormone specialist?
No. Dr. Maren sees women in Los Altos by telehealth for the whole transition, starting years before periods stop. Perimenopause can begin in the late 30s or early 40s, sometimes while cycles still look regular, with changes in sleep, mood, flow or weight. She tests hormones, thyroid and metabolic health together, so you understand what is happening now.
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.
Why am I suddenly anxious and sleeping badly at 44?
Hormones are one common reason. As progesterone and estrogen begin to swing in perimenopause, anxiety can appear or get louder and sleep often fragments, sometimes before your cycle changes much. Dr. Maren also checks thyroid, blood sugar and nutrients, since they can add to the picture, and when it is right for you, hormone therapy can be part of the plan. She works alongside any mental health care you already have.
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.
Does Dr. Maren treat gut problems that started with perimenopause?
Yes. Gut trouble was part of Dr. Maren's own perimenopause, and shifting hormones can change digestion, bloating and bowel habits. When your symptoms call for it, her team can run stool and SIBO breath testing and look at food sensitivities, then treat your gut and hormones as one system rather than two separate problems.
How do I become a patient in Los Altos?
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 Los Altos.
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 Los Altos 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 Los Altos and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.