Virtual care for women in Lake Forest
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Lake Forest, IL
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Lake Forest?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., sees women in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff by telehealth, so menopause and functional medicine care no longer hinges on a trip into the city. Her credentials: family medicine board certification (ABFM), functional medicine certification (FMCP-M) through the Institute for Functional Medicine, and Menopause Society certification (MSCP). Care covers perimenopause and menopause, autoimmune disease, gut health, PCOS and thyroid problems, with bioidentical hormones offered when they are appropriate.
The years after 50 can open up a little room to focus on yourself. The house may be quieter and the calendar looser, and the goal becomes making the decades ahead strong ones: steady sleep, a clear head, and legs for long walks along the bluffs in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. Dr. Maren's care fits this stage as well as perimenopause. She looks at muscle, metabolism, gut health and hormones together, and adds hormone therapy only when it is right for you. Starting takes nothing more than a short application from home.
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 Lake Forest?
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 Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest?
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 Lake Forest or wherever you are in Illinois.
Test and personalize
There is no need to head south for blood work: conventional labs are drawn close to home in Lake County, and you get a detailed review of what every number means for you. 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 Lake Forest and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Illinois does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, and throughout the North Shore in Lake County.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Lake Forest: FAQs
We spend a lot of weekends in Wisconsin. Can I do a visit from there?
No. Dr. Maren is licensed in Illinois, California, Colorado, Michigan and Texas, and state law requires you to be physically in one of those states during each visit. Wisconsin is not on the list, so book appointments for days you are home in Lake Forest or Lake Bluff, or traveling in one of her other four states.
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 see women in Lake Bluff?
Yes. Lake Bluff is included right alongside Lake Forest, and the experience is identical: video visits from home, conventional labs at a nearby Lake County lab, and one coordinated, physician-led team managing your plan. Being in a smaller village does not narrow your options.
Does Dr. Maren treat autoimmune conditions as well as menopause?
Yes. Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions are one of her seven core areas, and before founding her practice in 2017 she worked on complex autoimmune, thyroid and gut cases at Austin UltraHealth. She looks for drivers such as gut problems, mold and other environmental exposures, and works alongside your rheumatologist or other specialists rather than replacing them.
How do I become a patient in Lake Forest?
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 Lake Forest.
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 Lake Forest 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 Lake Forest and across Illinois by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.