Virtual care for women in Brighton
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Brighton, MI
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Brighton?
Between Detroit and Lansing, women in Brighton, Green Oak Township and Hamburg Township can see Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., through video visits. On top of ABFM board certification in family medicine, she holds the IFM's FMCP-M and The Menopause Society's MSCP. She treats perimenopause and menopause, weight and insulin resistance with GLP-1 therapy when appropriate, thyroid conditions and gut health, prescribing HRT when it is right for you.
Brighton is where I-96 meets US-23, which makes it easy to get almost anywhere and hard to get anywhere fast at rush hour. Ann Arbor is about 20 miles south, and Detroit and Lansing are each about 40 miles off. If your weekends lean toward the lakes and state recreation areas around town, Dr. Maren's plans aim to keep you strong enough to enjoy them, with strength training, protein-centered meals, restorative sleep and hormone support when it is appropriate. For Brighton, Green Oak Township and Hamburg Township, every visit happens by video, so the drive never factors in. The lakes will still be there. The goal is to have the energy for them again.
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 Brighton?
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 Brighton 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 Brighton?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Michigan 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 Brighton or wherever you are in Michigan.
Test and personalize
Conventional labs are drawn close to home in Livingston County, so a blood draw never means a trip to Ann Arbor, and the team reviews the results with you afterward. 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 Brighton and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Michigan does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Brighton, Green Oak Township and Hamburg Township, and throughout Livingston County, between Detroit and Lansing.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Brighton: FAQs
Does Dr. Maren see women in Green Oak and Hamburg Townships?
Yes. Green Oak Township, Hamburg Township and Brighton are all part of her Michigan practice, which is entirely virtual. You meet with the team by video from home or anywhere else in the state, and conventional labs are handled at a lab near you in Livingston County.
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.
Can I keep up with care through a Michigan winter?
Yes. Your visits happen by video, so snow on I-96 or US-23 does not have to cancel an appointment. Lab draws can be timed for a clear day at a nearby lab, and secure portal messages to the care team handle the non-urgent things that come up in between. Winter is often when routines slip, so your plan builds in habits sturdy enough to hold.
Do I need to be in Michigan during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Michigan, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Colorado, Illinois and Texas), at the time of each video visit.
Is GLP-1 therapy part of Dr. Maren's weight care?
Yes. When it is appropriate for you, Dr. Maren can prescribe GLP-1 therapy, including microdosed approaches, as one part of a broader metabolic plan. That plan also looks at insulin resistance, protein intake, strength training to protect muscle, sleep and hormones, because medication is meant to support that foundation, not replace it.
How do I become a patient in Brighton?
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 Brighton.
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 Brighton 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 Brighton and across Michigan by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.