As a person bullied for some years as a child and early adolescent, knowing a friendly sexual predator who lived around my corner and was later brought to justice, and as a parent seeing a similar environment despite the passage of four decades, I’m attentive to the literature on bullying, and likewise sexual abuse, which are both endemic and sadly go hand-in-hand. Rates of all kinds of maltreatment remain disturbingly high, and seemingly intractable. As a therapist, I hear day in and day out how people are subject to bullying and sexual harassment, or worse, in adult academic and professional settings, and often in their personal lives, in relationships and just walking down the street.

These forms of abuse take a terrible toll, with increased depressive and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders and substance-related disorders, personality challenges, and a range of personal and professional difficulties. Depression is often the cornerstone of chronic suffering and impairment, as once it sets in, it hampers development and personal growth.

Depression often undermines sense of self, executive function, drive, and joy, and leads to negative personal and professional outcomes that can consolidate into a chronic, hard-to-escape state. Fortunately, aside from reducing risk factors for depression, emerging treatments offer promise for not just relief, but renewed developmental potential. As a psychiatrist treating patients with TMS (transcranial........

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