Stress inoculation therapy (SIT) is a type of psychotherapy or talk therapy that is used for people diagnosed with PTSD. It was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Donald Meichenbaum. SIT is approved for managing anxiety surrounding potentially stress-inducing events. This therapy prepares participants for stress-inducing scenarios so that they would experience less anxiety when a real event occurred.  The goal of this therapy is to strengthen participants’ coping skills and help them develop new ones. The SIT therapy also increases participants’ confidence in their ability to utilize effective coping strategies. Moreover, it helps participants to recognize the need to implement necessary coping skills based on the unique circumstances of a situation. SIT therapy is recommended for people with excessive stress, couples, families, and groups. Other challenges that can be managed using the SIT approach include phobias, pain disorders, difficult life transitions, and performance anxiety.

Stress inoculation therapy involves three phases, including the conceptualization phase, the skills acquisition and rehearsal phase, and the application and follow-through phase. The conceptualization phase involves an interview, education, and self-monitoring. In this phase, providers aim to know the patient and identify the type of stressors they are facing, before deciding what method of treatment is best. In this step, patients learn how stress affect their lives.

The skills acquisition and rehearsal is the second phase. In this phase, participants begin to reduce their stress and anxiety by learning valuable coping skills for their unique circumstances. Therapist considers individual stressors and the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals. Depending on the stressors, patients can receive a combination of therapies, including exposure therapy, effective communication skills, muscle relaxation training, mindfulness, deep breathing, and exposure therapy. The third phase allow participants to role-play & utilize the skills and strategies they learned in former stages.