Virtual care for women in Pasadena
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Pasadena, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Pasadena?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., treats women in Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena by video. Her training spans family medicine, with board certification from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), functional medicine as an FMCP-M through the Institute for Functional Medicine, and menopause care as an MSCP. That combination lets her address perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy when appropriate, Hashimoto's and thyroid care, and stubborn gut or weight problems in one plan.
Your 40s and 50s can be the most crowded years of your life, with teenagers at home, parents who need more of you and work that does not slow down. Adding a specialist across town, down the 110 or out the 134, can be the appointment that keeps getting pushed back. Dr. Maren's team sees you by video instead, so care in Pasadena, San Marino or South Pasadena starts at your own kitchen table. The goal is simple: a clear picture of your hormones, thyroid and metabolism, and a plan you can keep up with during a full season of life.
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 Pasadena?
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 Pasadena 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 Pasadena?
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 Pasadena or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Blood work is drawn at a lab in the San Gabriel Valley near you, and your results are reviewed with you thoroughly, not summarized in a sentence. 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 Pasadena and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena, and throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Pasadena: FAQs
Is there a hormone specialist for women in the Pasadena area?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren focuses on women's hormones, from perimenopause and menopause to PCOS, estrogen dominance and thyroid imbalance, and she sees patients in Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena by telehealth. Testing guides the plan, and she can prescribe bioidentical estrogen, progesterone or testosterone 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 I manage my own care while looking after a parent?
Yes. Visits happen by video, so you can join from home without arranging extra help or losing half a day to driving. Between appointments, you can message the care team through a secure portal instead of saving every concern for the next visit, which makes it easier to stay on track when your week is full.
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 menopause care work well over video?
Yes. The core of good menopause care is a detailed history, the right testing and thoughtful prescribing, and all three work by video. Your labs are drawn locally, your story is reviewed in depth, and treatment, including hormone therapy when appropriate, is adjusted over time. Anything that needs a hands-on exam stays with your local doctors.
How do I become a patient in Pasadena?
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 Pasadena.
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 Pasadena 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 Pasadena and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.