Virtual care for women in Austin
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in Austin, TX
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving Austin?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., practiced functional medicine in Austin before founding her own practice, and today she cares for Austin women by telehealth. Her qualifications: ABFM board certification in family medicine, Institute for Functional Medicine certification (FMCP-M) and MSCP certification in menopause care. She focuses on Hashimoto's and other thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, gut health, and perimenopause and menopause, prescribing bioidentical HRT when appropriate.
Austin is part of how Dr. Maren became the doctor she is. After residency in San Antonio, she joined Dr. Amy Myers' Austin UltraHealth clinic, where she cared for complex autoimmune, thyroid and gut cases, the kind that do not fit a quick appointment. She opened her own practice in 2017, lives in Colorado now and sees Austin women by video. No I-35 traffic, no MoPac at rush hour, no circling for parking. You tell your whole story, from the first symptom on, and the testing and plan are built around it.
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 Austin?
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 Austin 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 Austin?
Apply online
Share your symptoms and goals in a brief application. The team confirms you are located in Texas 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 Austin or wherever you are in Texas.
Test and personalize
Blood for your conventional labs is collected at whichever lab in Travis or Williamson County is most convenient, and Dr. Maren's team then reviews the results with you in full detail. 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 Austin and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Texas does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in Austin, and throughout Central Texas.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in Austin: FAQs
My sex drive has faded since my early 40s. Can Dr. Maren help?
Yes. A fading sex drive is common in midlife, and it often has more than one cause: falling estrogen, age-related changes in testosterone, vaginal dryness, poor sleep, stress or thyroid problems. Dr. Maren looks at each of these with you, and treatment can include bioidentical estrogen or testosterone for women when it is right for you.
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 see Dr. Maren for Hashimoto's?
Yes. Hashimoto's is personal for her: she was diagnosed herself before functional medicine gave her answers. Testing includes a full thyroid panel with antibodies, and treatment can pair T4, T3 or both, when appropriate, with work on gut health, nutrients and inflammation, since those affect how you feel on any thyroid plan.
Do I need to be in Texas during my visits?
Yes. State licensing laws require you to be physically located in Texas, or in another state where Dr. Maren is licensed (California, Colorado, Illinois and Michigan), at the time of each video visit.
Does Dr. Maren see women across Austin, including Round Rock and Pflugerville?
Yes. Her Texas license covers the whole Austin area, including Round Rock, Pflugerville and the neighborhoods in between. Because every visit is by video, it makes no difference which side of the river you live on. Conventional labs are drawn at a lab close to you, and the team stays reachable through the secure portal.
How do I become a patient in Austin?
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 Austin.
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 Austin 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 Austin and across Texas by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.