Virtual care for women in Santa Monica
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Santa Monica, CA
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Santa Monica?
For functional medicine and menopause care in Santa Monica, women can turn to Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., who sees patients throughout the city by telehealth. She is an ABFM board-certified family physician, an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Professional (FMCP-M) and certified by The Menopause Society (MSCP). Her care covers perimenopause and menopause, hormone therapy when appropriate, gut health including SIBO and bloating, and weight and metabolic changes like insulin resistance.
Mornings on the beach path, a long walk along the bluffs, a workout before work: Santa Monica makes it easy to stay active. When sleep slips and recovery slows in your 40s, though, the training that used to energize you can leave you drained. Dr. Maren understands that from the inside. She lifts heavy, hikes Colorado trails and cooks from scratch, and her Build Resilience pillar leans on strength training, protein, sleep and mindset. Her team looks at hormones, thyroid and metabolism together, so you get a real explanation and a plan built around your energy and recovery.
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 Santa Monica?
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 Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica?
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 Santa Monica or wherever you are in California.
Test and personalize
Blood work is drawn at a lab convenient to Santa Monica, then your results are explained to you in plain language, marker by marker. 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 Santa Monica and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in California does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Santa Monica, and throughout the Westside of Los Angeles.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Santa Monica: FAQs
Is there a women's functional medicine doctor serving Santa Monica?
Yes. Dr. Christine Maren is a functional medicine physician licensed in California who sees Santa Monica women by video. She combines the testing and nutrition focus of functional medicine with the ability to prescribe, so a plan can include hormones, thyroid medication or other treatment when it is right for you.
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 is my recovery from workouts so much worse in my 40s?
Shifting hormones are a common reason. As estrogen and progesterone fluctuate in perimenopause, sleep often gets lighter, muscle gets harder to maintain and recovery can slow. Thyroid, iron and blood sugar can play a role too, which is why Dr. Maren tests rather than guesses. Strength training and protein stay central to the plan, with hormone therapy considered when appropriate.
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.
Do I need to drive into downtown Los Angeles for testing?
No. Your blood can be drawn at a lab near home, so there is no reason to fight the 10 into downtown. Visits happen by video, and specialty tests, such as stool or breath testing for SIBO, are arranged as part of your plan when Dr. Maren expects them to change your care.
How do I become a patient in Santa Monica?
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 Santa Monica.
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 Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica and across California by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.