Virtual care for women in Highlands Ranch
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Highlands Ranch, CO
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Highlands Ranch?
Between school drop-offs and weekend games, women in Highlands Ranch can get care from Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., through telehealth. She is board-certified in family medicine (ABFM), FMCP-M certified through the Institute for Functional Medicine, and MSCP certified by The Menopause Society. Her focus includes perimenopause weight gain and insulin resistance, menopause symptoms, thyroid problems and gut health, with bioidentical hormones or GLP-1 therapy only when appropriate.
Highlands Ranch weekends fill up fast, between practices, games, errands along C-470 and a hike whenever you can steal an hour. In the middle of all that, you may notice your body changing: weight settling around your waist, workouts that no longer move the needle, energy that fades by mid-afternoon. Dr. Maren has lived that shift. These days, in her words, she lifts heavy, eats carbs and sleeps like a queen, and getting there took advanced testing, work on her gut and the right hormone support. Your plan starts with your labs and centers on strength, protein and sleep rather than eating less and hoping.
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 Highlands Ranch?
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 Highlands Ranch 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 Highlands Ranch?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Colorado 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 Highlands Ranch or wherever you are in Colorado.
Test and personalize
Your conventional labs are drawn at a Douglas County lab near you, and Dr. Maren's team then sits down with you, by video, to go through the results. 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 Highlands Ranch and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Colorado does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Highlands Ranch, and throughout northern Douglas County in the south Denver metro.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Highlands Ranch: FAQs
Can Dr. Maren help with weight gain during perimenopause?
Yes. Weight that shows up in your 40s is not simply about willpower. Shifting hormones, insulin resistance, lost muscle, poor sleep and thyroid problems can all play a role, and Dr. Maren tests for them. Your plan centers on protein, strength training and metabolic health, with microdosed GLP-1 therapy considered 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.
Between work and the kids, I'm exhausted all the time. Is that just my 40s?
Not necessarily. Fatigue in your 40s is common, but it is not something you simply have to accept. Thyroid problems, low iron, blood sugar swings, hormone-related sleep disruption and gut issues can all drain your energy, and several can overlap. Dr. Maren tests for each of them, so your plan targets the actual cause instead of relying on another cup of coffee.
Do I need to be in Colorado during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Colorado, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Illinois, Michigan and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
Can I see Dr. Maren for gut problems like bloating and reflux?
Yes. Gut health is one of the seven areas she treats, including SIBO, IBS, bloating, reflux, H. pylori and food sensitivities. Stool and SIBO breath testing help show what is going on, and treatment connects your digestion to your energy, weight and hormones, since all of them affect one another.
How do I become a patient in Highlands Ranch?
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 Highlands Ranch.
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 Highlands Ranch 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 Highlands Ranch and across Colorado by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.