Virtual care for women in Wilmette
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Wilmette, IL
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Wilmette?
In Wilmette, women can see Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., a physician with credentials in family, functional and menopause medicine: ABFM board certification, the FMCP-M from the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the MSCP. Care happens by telehealth, so there is no drive to a downtown specialist. She focuses on perimenopause and menopause, body composition and insulin resistance, gut health and thyroid function, and she prescribes bioidentical hormone therapy when it is right for you.
Wilmette life pulls you outside: early walks through Gillson Park, a swim off the beach in July, a long ride up Sheridan Road on a clear Saturday. When those habits start to feel harder, with slower recovery, flagging energy and sleep that no longer restores you, it is tempting to assume that is simply what 45 feels like. Dr. Maren does not accept that, and neither should you. Her Build Resilience pillar is about keeping you strong for the things you love, using strength training, protein, sleep and hormone support when it is appropriate. Getting started takes a short application, done 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 Wilmette?
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 Wilmette 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 Wilmette?
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 Wilmette or wherever you are in Illinois.
Test and personalize
You give blood for conventional labs at a lab a short drive from Wilmette, and the team goes over your numbers with you carefully, one by one. 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 Wilmette and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Illinois does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Wilmette, and throughout the North Shore.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Wilmette: FAQs
I work out regularly, but I'm gaining weight around my middle. Can Dr. Maren help?
Yes. Midlife changes in estrogen, insulin sensitivity, sleep and muscle can shift where your body stores fat, even when your routine has not changed. Dr. Maren tests for insulin resistance and hormone shifts, then builds a plan around protein, strength and recovery. When it is appropriate for you, that plan can include GLP-1 therapy or hormone therapy.
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 does Dr. Maren decide whether bioidentical hormones are right for me?
She tests first, then weighs your personal risks against the benefits, looking at your symptoms, history and labs together. Treatment is chosen on evidence, not on whether something sounds natural. When hormone therapy is appropriate, options include bioidentical estrogen, progesterone and, for some women, testosterone, and Wilmette women can have that conversation by video from home.
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'm active and basically healthy, just not myself lately. Is that reason enough to reach out?
Yes. You do not need to be in crisis. Some women come to Dr. Maren because something feels clearly wrong, and others simply want to feel sharp and strong through their 40s, 50s and beyond. Both are good reasons to look at your hormones, metabolism and gut health with real data.
How do I become a patient in Wilmette?
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 Wilmette.
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 Wilmette 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 Wilmette and across Illinois by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.