Virtual care for women in Deerfield
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Deerfield, IL
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Deerfield?
In Deerfield, Riverwoods and Lincolnshire, Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., sees women through secure video visits. A family physician board-certified by the ABFM, she also holds the FMCP-M, the Institute for Functional Medicine's certification, and is certified by The Menopause Society as an MSCP. Rather than splitting your care into pieces, she looks at hormones, gut health, thyroid function and metabolism together, treating perimenopause, SIBO, Hashimoto's and insulin resistance, with HRT when it is right for you.
Maybe you have seen a gastroenterologist for the bloating, a gynecologist for the cycles and your primary care doctor for the exhaustion, and each visit covered one piece of you. Dr. Maren takes the opposite approach. Your gut, thyroid, hormones, immune system and mindset all influence one another, so she looks at them as one picture. For women in Deerfield, Riverwoods and Lincolnshire, that work happens by video, which means no extra drives down Lake Cook Road or the Tri-State. Start with the application, and bring the whole story.
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 Deerfield?
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 Deerfield 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 Deerfield?
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 Deerfield or wherever you are in Illinois.
Test and personalize
Your blood draw for conventional labs happens close to home in southern Lake County, and the team then goes through the results with you in depth. 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 Deerfield and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Illinois does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Deerfield, Riverwoods and Lincolnshire, and throughout the North Shore suburbs.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Deerfield: FAQs
Does Dr. Maren see women in Riverwoods and Lincolnshire?
Yes. Both villages are included. Women in Riverwoods and Lincolnshire meet with the team by video and have conventional labs drawn nearby, exactly as Deerfield women do. A home along the Des Plaines River is no farther from care than one a block from the Deerfield Metra station.
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 prescribe GLP-1 medications for weight loss?
Yes, when it is appropriate for you. Dr. Maren uses GLP-1 therapy, including microdosing, as one tool in a broader metabolic plan rather than a shortcut. She first looks at insulin resistance, muscle mass, hormones, thyroid and sleep, and the plan centers on protein-forward nutrition and strength training to protect muscle along the way.
Do I need to be in Illinois during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Illinois, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Colorado, Michigan and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
I've seen three specialists and nobody connects the dots. Can Dr. Maren help?
Yes. Connecting the dots is the core of her approach. Dr. Maren starts with your full story, then orders testing that fills the gaps, from hormones and a complete thyroid panel to gut and nutrient testing. She works alongside your specialists, not against them, and builds one plan that makes sense of the whole picture.
How do I become a patient in Deerfield?
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 Deerfield.
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 Deerfield 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 Deerfield and across Illinois by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.