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Faculty Profile

Tazuko Shibusawa

Associate Professor of Social Work; Associate Dean, Professional Programs; Director, MSW Program
MSW, PhD
Curriculum Vitae
tazuko.shibusawa@nyu.edu | (212) 998-5943

bio

Tazuko Shibusawa received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Shibusawa's research focuses on the health and mental health of older adults and their families, including Asian immigrants, women who are at risk for abuse, and older adults who struggle with substance abuse. Her research has been funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program.

Dr. Shibusawa teaches in the MSW and doctoral programs in the area of advanced clinical practice. She has also been involved in integrating new media technology in the teaching and learning of practice skills and serves as the Project Director of New Media Instructional Innovations (NMII). Dr. Shibusawa also teaches summer intensives in Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Shibusawa's clinical experiences include Director of Social Services, Keiro Nursing Home in Los Angeles, California; psychiatric social worker, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Asian Pacific Counseling & Treatment Center; co-director of Counseling International in Tokyo Japan; and mental health consultant for the World Health Organization. Dr. Shibusawa received post-graduate training in the areas family therapy, psychoanalytically-oriented psychotherapy, and trauma studies.

recent publications

Books and Chapters

  • Shibusawa, T. (in press). Japanese Americans and health. In G.J. Yoo, M.H. Le, & A. Oda (Eds.), Handbook of Asian American health. New York: Springer.
  • McGoldrick, M. & Shibusawa, T. (in press). The family life cycle. In F.Walsh (Ed.). Normal family process: Growing diversity and complexity (4th edition). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Shibusawa, T., & Chung, I. (2009). Health of Asian American elderly. In Rey, M., Trin-Shevrin, C., Islam, N. (Eds.), Heath issues in the Asian American community (pp.199-225). New York: Jossey Bass.
  • Mui, A.C., & Shibusawa, T. (2008). Asian American elders in the 21st century: Key indicators of psychosocial well-being. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Shibusawa, T. (2008). Interracial Asian couples: Beyond Black and White. In M.McGoldrick & K. Hardy (Eds.), Revisioning family therapy (2nd edition). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Shibusawa, T. (2007). Japanese American elders. P. Kolb (Ed.), Social work practice with racially and ethnically diverse nursing home residents and their families (pp.136-161). New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Shibusawa, T. (2006). Older adults with substance/alcohol abuse problems. B. Berkman & D'Ambrusio, S. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of social work in aging. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Shibusawa, T. (2005). Japanese families. M. McGoldrick, J.K. Pearce, & J. Giordano (Eds.), Ethnicity and family therapy (3rd edition) (pp. 339-348). New York: Guilford Press.
  • Shibusawa, T. (2004). La practica clinica con le famiglie di immigrati asiatici. (Clinical practice with Asian immigrant families). In M. Andolfi(Ed.), Famiglie immigrate e psicoterapia transculturale (Immigrant families and transcultural psychotherapy) (pp.102-115). Milan, Italy: Franco Angeli.

Journal Articles


  • Nguyen, D., & Shibusawa, T. (in press). The evolution of community mental health services with Asian Americans. Clinical Social Work Journal
  • Engstrom, M., Shibusawa, T., El-Bassel, N., & Gilbert, L. (2011). Age and HIV sexual risk among women in methadone treatment programs. AIDS & Behavior, 15(1), 103-113.
  • Park, S-Y, Shibusawa, T., Yoon, S.M., Son, H-I. (2010) Characteristics of Asian-American substance abusers: A study of Asian Americans with substance abuse problems who received treatment in New York City. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 9(2), 128-142.
  • Shibusawa, T., & Chung, I. (2009). Wrapping and unwrapping emotions: Clinical practice with East Asian immigrant elders. Clinical Social Work Journal, 37(4), 312-319.
  • Battacharya, G., & Shibusawa, T. (2009). Experiences of aging among immigrants from India to the United States: Social work practice in a global context. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 52(5), 445-462.
  • Shibusawa, T., & Padgett, D. (2009). Out of sync: A life course perspective of "aging" among formerly homeless adults with chronic mental illness. Journal of Aging Studies, 23, 188-196.
  • Shibusawa, T., & Mui, A.C. (2008). Health status and health services utilization among older Asian Indian immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-008-9199-2
  • Sormanti, M., & Shibusawa, T. (2008). Intimate partner violence among midlife and older women: A descriptive analysis of women seeking medical services. Health & Social Work, 33(1), 33-41
  • Shibusawa, T., & Yick, A.G. (2007). Experiences and perceptions of domestic violence among older Chinese immigrants. Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 19, 1-17
  • Sormanti, M., & Shibusawa, T. (2007). Predictors of condom use and HIV testing among midlife and older women seeking medical services. Journal of Aging and Health, 19(4), 705-719.