Virtual care for women in Chicago
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Chicago, IL
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Chicago?
Chicago women in any neighborhood can see Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., a functional medicine and menopause doctor. She is board-certified in family medicine (ABFM), holds the FMCP-M credential from the Institute for Functional Medicine and is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP). Through telehealth video visits, she and her physician-led team treat perimenopause and menopause, Hashimoto's and other thyroid problems, gut issues like SIBO and bloating, and the metabolic shifts behind midlife weight gain, prescribing bioidentical HRT when it is right for you.
Dr. Maren's medical degree carries this city's name: she earned her D.O. at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Today she lives and practices in Colorado and cares for Chicago women by secure video. In a city where reaching a specialist can mean the Kennedy at rush hour, a slow crawl on Lake Shore Drive or a transfer or two on the 'L', that changes the math. The appointment becomes the only thing on your calendar, not the travel wrapped around it. If you are tired of putting your own health last, a short application is where it starts.
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 Chicago?
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 Chicago 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 Chicago?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Illinois 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 Chicago or wherever you are in Illinois.
Test and personalize
Your blood draw happens at a lab in your own part of Chicago, not across town, and afterward the results are reviewed with you in detail. 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 Chicago and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Illinois does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Chicago.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Chicago: FAQs
Can I keep my appointment when I'm away for a weekend in southwest Michigan?
Yes. Dr. Maren is licensed in Michigan as well as Illinois, so a video visit from a lake weekend in southwest Michigan works just as it does from home. The one thing to watch is the drive. Indiana is not one of her states, so schedule the call for after you arrive, not while you are passing through.
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.
How do I fit appointments around a long workday downtown?
By taking the appointment wherever you already are. Visits happen by secure video, so you can log in from home before work or from a private room at midday. There is no drive across the city, no parking garage and no lost afternoon, which makes it far easier to keep follow-ups on the calendar once your plan is underway.
Is there a hormone specialist in Chicago who also looks at thyroid and gut health?
Yes. Dr. Maren holds the MSCP from The Menopause Society, sees Chicago women by video, and does not treat hormones in isolation. Testing can include a thyroid panel that checks antibodies instead of stopping at TSH, stool and SIBO breath testing, and metabolic markers, because your gut, thyroid and hormones all influence one another.
How do I become a patient in Chicago?
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 Chicago.
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 Chicago 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 Chicago and across Illinois by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.