Virtual care for women in Royal Oak
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Royal Oak, MI
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Royal Oak?
Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Berkley are all served by Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., through telehealth. Her credentials span ABFM board certification, IFM certification (FMCP-M) and the Menopause Society Certified Practitioner designation (MSCP). Her work centers on perimenopause and menopause, Hashimoto's and other thyroid problems, and gut issues like reflux and food sensitivities, with bioidentical HRT when appropriate and testing at the core.
You have probably heard it before: your labs are normal. Maybe it came after months of fatigue, weight that would not move or sleep that fell apart, and you left with no plan and the same symptoms. To Dr. Maren, that is a starting point, not a conclusion. Her team goes past a basic panel to full thyroid testing with antibodies, gut testing, nutrients and metabolic markers, then reads the results against how you actually feel. For women in Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Berkley, all of it happens by video, with no trip up or down Woodward. You know your body. It is time for actual data.
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 Royal Oak?
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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak?
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 Royal Oak or wherever you are in Michigan.
Test and personalize
Blood draws for conventional labs happen at a lab near Royal Oak, and your results are reviewed with you in full, not summed up in one sentence. 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 Royal Oak and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Michigan does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge and Berkley, and throughout south Oakland County along Woodward Avenue.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Royal Oak: FAQs
Does Dr. Maren see women in Berkley, Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge?
Yes. Berkley, Huntington Woods and Pleasant Ridge are Royal Oak's next-door neighbors, and Dr. Maren sees women in all four. Whichever side of a city line you live on, the experience is the same: video visits from home, conventional labs at a nearby lab and portal messaging with the care team between appointments.
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.
Could my reflux and food sensitivities be connected to my hormones?
Yes. They can be. Dr. Maren works from the understanding that your gut, thyroid and hormones influence one another, so digestive symptoms that started or worsened in perimenopause deserve a real look. Her gut care covers reflux, food sensitivities, bloating, SIBO and H. pylori, and testing can include stool analysis and breath testing.
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.
What does integrative menopause care with Dr. Maren look like?
Hormone therapy is considered when appropriate, but it is never the only tool. Dr. Christine Maren pairs her menopause training as an MSCP with functional medicine, so sleep, nutrition, strength training, gut health and stress get attention too, and she sees women in Royal Oak and across Michigan by telehealth. Conventional labs are drawn close to home.
How do I become a patient in Royal Oak?
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 Royal Oak.
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 Royal Oak 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 Royal Oak and across Michigan by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.