Virtual care for women in Palos Verdes
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Palos Verdes, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Palos Verdes?
Across the Palos Verdes Peninsula, in Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills, women see Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., by telehealth. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), holds the Institute for Functional Medicine's FMCP-M certification and is an MSCP through The Menopause Society. She treats menopause and perimenopause, prescribes hormone therapy when appropriate, and addresses thyroid, autoimmune and metabolic problems.
Life on the Palos Verdes Peninsula pulls you outdoors, to the bluff-top trails, the long climbs on Palos Verdes Drive and the walks above the coves. Getting to a specialist is another story, since most trips start by heading down off the hill and into South Bay traffic. Dr. Maren keeps you on the Peninsula. Visits happen by video, and her team pays attention to the things that keep you moving: strength, sleep, recovery and steady energy through perimenopause and beyond. Your care fits around your hikes instead of replacing them.
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 Palos Verdes?
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 Palos Verdes 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 Palos Verdes?
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 Palos Verdes or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Your routine labs can be done at a lab near the Peninsula, and the team then sits down with you, by video, to go over everything. 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 Palos Verdes and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Palos Verdes: FAQs
Does Dr. Maren see women in Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates?
Yes. Dr. Maren sees women in every Peninsula city, including Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates, as well as neighboring South Bay communities. Because care is virtual, you can have your visit from home and skip the drive 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.
Is it too late to get help if I'm already past menopause?
No. Poor sleep, joint aches, vaginal dryness, low libido and weight gain can continue well after your last period, and they deserve attention. Dr. Maren reviews your history, age and risk factors to decide with you whether hormone therapy is appropriate, and she also works on muscle, metabolic and gut health, which stay important in the years after menopause.
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.
Can Dr. Maren coordinate with my doctors in the South Bay?
Yes. Think of her as an addition to your care team, not a substitute for it. Her team can send results and recommendations to your primary care doctor or specialists, and when your plan involves a medication another physician prescribed, changes are coordinated instead of made on their own.
How do I become a patient in Palos Verdes?
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 Palos Verdes.
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 Palos Verdes 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 Palos Verdes and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.