Virtual care for women in Malibu
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Malibu, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Malibu?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., cares for women anywhere along the Malibu coast through telehealth. She holds board certification in family medicine (ABFM), is FMCP-M certified through the Institute for Functional Medicine, and is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP). Her physician-led team helps with perimenopause and menopause, bioidentical HRT when appropriate, PCOS and other hormone imbalances, and thyroid conditions including Hashimoto's.
In Malibu, any trip into town starts with PCH or a canyon road over the Santa Monica Mountains, and downtown Los Angeles is about 30 miles away. That math shapes how often you actually make it to a specialist. Dr. Maren takes the drive out of the equation. She is licensed in California and practices from Colorado, where she lives, so every visit happens by video, wherever you are staying in California. The time you would have spent on the road goes into a long, careful look at your hormones, thyroid, gut and metabolism instead.
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 Malibu?
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 Malibu 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 Malibu?
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 Malibu or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Conventional labs are drawn at a lab near home or on a day you are already headed into town, and the team reviews each result 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 Malibu and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Malibu.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Malibu: FAQs
I split my time between Malibu and another state. Can I still be a patient?
Yes. There is one rule to plan around: each visit has to take place while you are physically in one of the five states where Dr. Maren is licensed, which are California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Texas. If the other state is one of those five, you can keep appointments from there. If not, schedule visits for weeks you are in Malibu.
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 menopause doctor near Malibu who sees patients virtually?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) licensed in California, and she sees Malibu women by video. You get care from a certified menopause practitioner, including hormone therapy when appropriate, without giving up a morning to PCH or a canyon drive.
Can Dr. Maren help with gut problems like bloating and SIBO?
Yes. Gut health is one of her core areas. Her team tests rather than guesses, using stool analysis and SIBO breath testing when they fit your symptoms, then treats what they find, from SIBO and dysbiosis to H. pylori and food sensitivities. Because the gut, hormones and thyroid affect one another, your gut plan is built alongside the rest of your care.
How do I become a patient in Malibu?
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 Malibu.
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 Malibu 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 Malibu and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.