Virtual care for women in Steamboat Springs
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Steamboat Springs, CO
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Steamboat Springs?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., brings menopause and functional medicine care to Steamboat Springs and the rest of the Yampa Valley by telehealth. Her training includes ABFM board certification, the Institute for Functional Medicine's FMCP-M credential and the MSCP through The Menopause Society. She treats perimenopause and menopause, Hashimoto's, gut and autoimmune conditions, and insulin resistance, prescribing bioidentical hormones, thyroid medication or GLP-1 therapy when appropriate.
Steamboat Springs is a long way from the Front Range, and in winter the drive over Rabbit Ears Pass can turn a specialist appointment into an overnight trip. Virtual care takes that off the table. Your visits happen by video from home, and the care team stays a secure message away between appointments. If you split the year between the Yampa Valley and somewhere else, your care can follow you to any state where Dr. Maren is licensed. Her plans are built to keep you strong for the river, the trails and the ski days, with sleep, strength and nutrition treated as seriously as any prescription.
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 Steamboat Springs?
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 Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs?
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 Steamboat Springs or wherever you are in Colorado.
Test and personalize
Conventional labs are drawn in the Yampa Valley, close to home, and Dr. Maren's team reviews them with you over video, explaining each result in plain terms. 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 Steamboat Springs and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Colorado does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Steamboat Springs, and throughout the Yampa Valley.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Steamboat Springs: FAQs
Do I have to travel to Denver or Fort Collins for appointments?
No. Every visit is virtual, so you can stay in Steamboat through the whole process, including winter. Labs are drawn locally, results are reviewed with you by video, and you can message the care team through a secure portal between visits. Rabbit Ears Pass never has to factor into your care.
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.
Does Dr. Maren work with doctors here in the Yampa Valley?
Yes. Her role is to complement the physicians you already see, not to replace them. Her team can coordinate with your local physicians, and any change to a medication you already take is made carefully and with their input, so your care stays connected even at a distance.
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 Dr. Maren help with autoimmune or thyroid conditions from a distance?
Yes. Most of the work, from testing to treatment planning, translates well to video. Her team orders a full thyroid panel with antibodies, inflammation and immune markers, gut testing and nutrient levels, then reviews the results with you by video. Earlier in her career, Dr. Maren worked with complex autoimmune, thyroid and gut patients at Austin UltraHealth in Texas, and that experience shapes how she approaches yours.
How do I become a patient in Steamboat Springs?
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 Steamboat Springs.
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 Steamboat Springs 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 Steamboat Springs and across Colorado by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.