Critical Dynamics™

Every day, women navigate a world where the threat of violence is real. Yet most people are taught to believe that attacks are random, unavoidable, and unpredictable. This mindset creates fear and vulnerability... and it simply isn’t true.

The Mindset of the Empowered Woman™ is a groundbreaking 3-1/2 hour (roughly) seminar created exclusively for women, designed to replace fear with confidence, helplessness with awareness, and uncertainty with action. This isn’t just another self-defense class. It’s a life-saving blueprint for personal safety that addresses both the psychological and physical aspects of violence, giving you the tools to identify danger before it strikes and the confidence to respond effectively if it does.

Through a dynamic blend of instruction, case studies, and practical application, you’ll gain powerful insights into the world of personal safety:

Situational Awareness Mastery
Learn to sharpen your instincts and see what most people miss. Discover how to spot danger signals early and develop the proactive mindset that stops threats before they begin.

Composite Risk Management
Borrowed from military and law-enforcement science, this decision-making framework helps you evaluate risks and make fast, effective choices under stress.

The Anatomy of Violence
Understand the types of interpersonal violence and the step-by-step stages of criminal attacks. With this knowledge, you’ll never again be blindsided by the tactics predators use.

The Psychology of Predators
Break down the manipulative strategies of social engineering—the psychological tricks criminals rely on to lure potential victims. You’ll learn to spot the red flags and resist manipulation before it’s too late.

Tools of Self-Defense: What Really Works?
Pepper spray, firearms, martial arts, stun guns, knives... every tool has strengths and weaknesses. This program gives you the unbiased knowledge to make the right choice for your personal circumstances and comfort level.

Since its creation in 2012 (originally titled Elements of the Defensive Mindset™), this program has been delivered to over 20,000 safety-minded individuals in more than 25 states. It has been taught to law enforcement personnel, civic groups, women’s leadership organizations, and university sororities, earning a reputation as one of the most comprehensive and effective women’s safety seminars in the nation.

Participants consistently report that this seminar doesn’t just teach them how to protect themselves.  It changes the way they see the world. Graduates leave with clarity, confidence, and a lasting sense of empowerment.

The threat of violence surrounds us every day, but most people miss, or ignore the danger signals until it’s too late. The Mindset of the Empowered Woman™ program changes that. It teaches you how to recognize those signals, how to trust your intuition, and how to respond with both courage and skill.

This course is more than an education. It’s an investment in your safety, your independence, and your peace of mind. It may even save your life.

Take control of your safety. Step into your power. Invest 3-1/2 hours in yourself, and walk away with a mindset that lasts a lifetime.

This is one program NOT to be missed!

Register today for Mindset of the Empowered Woman™. Seats are limited.

 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

With a strong background in neuroscience and psychology, the instructor, Keith Hanson, is a career law enforcement trainer with multiple instructor ratings in Tactical Counterterrorism, Active Shooter Response, Immediate Action/Rapid Deployment, Tactical Firearms, and SWAT Medic disciplines.  He also holds instructor credentials as a Law Enforcement De-Escalation trainer and Forensic/Cognitive Interviewing practitioner.

 

PREREQUISITES:

None

 

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Notebook and pen/pencil, if desired.

No recording devices, please.

Students are welcome to take cell phone screenshots of selected presentation slides if they choose.

 

FAQS:

Q: How long is the program?

A: The presentation and interactive lecture generally runs three-and-a-half (3.5) hours.  However, with robust discussions and questions from participants, it is not uncommon for the total length of the program to stretch to four hours.

Q: Is there a cost to this program

A: This program is being presented without an upfront charge; however,  donations are strongly encouraged to offset costs for both the session you are attending, as well as to offset costs when this program is being presented in venues that require facility rental charges and travel expenses for the instructor.

Q: Does this program include a physical component, or is it lecture and discussion only?

A: The Mindset of the Empowered Woman™ is a seminar-style presentation with robust discussions and question/answer sessions.  As such, there is NO physical component.

Q: Is there a minimum age requirement to participate?

A: The Mindset of the Empowered Woman™ program takes a very frank approach to mature subject matters.  The program includes discussions about acts of violence likely to be directed towards women and includes anecdotal accounts of rape, sexual assault, homicide, and attempted homicide, as well as discussions about the use of both deadly and non-deadly defensive force.  Attendees 13+ are welcome, however, parental discretion is strongly advised. 

Q: Is ID required?

A: No.  

Q: Can I update my registration information?

A: You may update your registration information directly through our registration portal.

Q: What do I need to bring to this training?

A: Please see "Equipment Requirements" above.  

Q: If I have any questions that are not answered on this page, who can I contact?

A: Please feel free to contact the training team directly by calling (877) 486-8724 (877-GUN-TRAIN) with any questions you may have regarding this program.

 

⚠️⚠️IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTIFICATION⚠️⚠️

© 2025 Critical Dynamics, Inc. All rights reserved.

The contents of this or any training program notification, program announcement, registration page, program participant pre-read email,  and/or any other related announcement or promotional material, including but not limited to the industry-specific verbiage, terminology, grammatical/structural organization, contextual content structuring, and/or usage, remain the exclusive intellectual property of Critical Dynamics™ and Helios Systems™ and are protected under United States and international copyright and intellectual property laws. All proprietary language, structural designs, terminology applications, contextual structuring, and instructional formats contained herein are considered copyrighted materials.

No portion of this training program notification nor any related announcements or promotional materials related to this training program may be copied, reproduced, distributed, displayed, modified, or used to create derivative works, whether in whole or in part, by any means (electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise) without the express prior written consent of Critical Dynamics™.

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ANY unauthorized use, reproduction, or misappropriation of the protected materials WILL be identified, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including pursuit of damages and injunctive relief.