Virtual care for women in West University Place
Functional Medicine & Menopause Doctor in West University Place, TX
Who is a functional medicine and menopause doctor serving West University Place?
Dr. Christine Maren, D.O., sees women in West University Place and neighboring Southside Place through secure video visits. Her training rests on three certifications: board certification from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), the Institute for Functional Medicine's FMCP-M and the MSCP from The Menopause Society. She and her physician-led team care for perimenopause and menopause symptoms, Hashimoto's and other thyroid disease, PCOS and gut problems, and she prescribes bioidentical hormones when appropriate.
Life in West U can mean a career, kids with three different schedules and a parent who needs rides to appointments, all on one calendar. Dr. Maren knows that season well. Perimenopause hit her in her early 40s, while she was raising three children and growing a practice: broken sleep, irregular cycles, anxiety and weight gain she could not explain. Advanced testing, gut treatment and hormone care helped her rebuild. Video visits let you start the same work without adding another drive across Houston to your week. You do not have to wait for life to slow down first.
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 West University Place?
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 West University Place 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 West University Place?
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 West University Place or wherever you are in Texas.
Test and personalize
Blood work is drawn at a conventional lab a short drive from West U, and Dr. Maren's team then goes through each result with you so nothing gets brushed aside. 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 West University Place and nearby communities
Care is virtual, so where you live in Texas does not limit your options. Dr. Maren sees women in West University Place and Southside Place, and throughout southwest Houston, inside the 610 Loop.
Nearby communities
Helpful reading
Functional medicine and menopause care in West University Place: FAQs
I'm 42 and my sleep and cycles have changed. Could it be perimenopause?
Yes, it may well be. Perimenopause often begins in the late 30s or 40s, and changes in sleep, cycle length, mood and weight can show up years before periods stop. Dr. Maren looks at hormones together with thyroid, nutrients, blood sugar and gut health, because several of these can cause similar symptoms and the right plan depends on what is actually going on.
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 Southside Place?
Yes. Southside Place sits right next to West University Place, and Dr. Maren's Texas license covers both, along with Bellaire and the rest of the Houston area. Visits happen by secure video, blood work is done at a nearby lab, and your care team stays reachable through the patient portal between appointments.
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.
Can I see Dr. Maren for thyroid problems, not just menopause?
Yes. Thyroid care is a core part of her work, and she has lived with Hashimoto's herself. Testing goes beyond TSH to a full thyroid panel with antibodies, and treatment can include T4, T3 or both when appropriate, along with attention to the gut, nutrients and stress that affect how your thyroid functions.
How do I become a patient in West University Place?
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 West University Place.
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 West University Place 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 West University Place and across Texas by telehealth. Start with a brief application so we can understand your goals.