Virtual care for women in San Francisco
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in San Francisco, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving San Francisco?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., is a family physician board-certified by the ABFM, an IFM-certified functional medicine doctor (FMCP-M) and an MSCP, certified by The Menopause Society. Licensed in California, she sees women all over San Francisco by secure video, from the Richmond to Bernal Heights. With her physician-led team, she treats SIBO and other gut problems, Hashimoto's and thyroid disease, perimenopause and menopause, and insulin resistance, prescribing bioidentical hormones when appropriate.
Getting across San Francisco can take longer than the appointment itself. Between the hills, Muni transfers and the search for parking, one specialist visit can eat a whole morning. Care with Dr. Maren and her team happens on video instead, so you can log on from home in the Sunset or a quiet conference room downtown and be back at your desk when it ends. She practices from Colorado and is licensed in California, so the only commute is the walk to your laptop. If sleep, mood or your cycle has been off for months and your calendar keeps winning, this is a way to finally start.
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 San Francisco?
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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco?
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 San Francisco or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
A lab in your own corner of the city handles the conventional blood draw, and then the team goes through each result with you, line by line. 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 San Francisco and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in San Francisco.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in San Francisco: FAQs
Is there a functional medicine doctor for San Francisco women who also treats menopause?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren is certified in both fields: IFM certified her in functional medicine (FMCP-M), The Menopause Society certified her as an MSCP, and she sees San Francisco women by telehealth under her California license. Because one physician-led team handles both, your hormones, thyroid, gut and metabolism are looked at together instead of in separate appointments scattered across the city.
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.
I work long hours in the city. How much time do appointments take?
The first visit is the long one: the initial case review runs about 90 minutes, so block that time somewhere private. Follow-up visits are on video too, with no drive, no Muni ride and no waiting room on either end, and you can join from home or a quiet room at work.
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 I see Dr. Maren for bloating or SIBO, even if menopause is not my main concern?
Yes. Gut health is one of the seven areas she treats, including SIBO, IBS, reflux, food sensitivities and ongoing bloating. When it fits your symptoms, the team can order stool testing and SIBO breath testing, and they look at how your gut connects to your hormones, thyroid and energy rather than treating it in isolation.
How do I become a patient in San Francisco?
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 San Francisco.
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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.