Augusto’s Story: How City Lit Transformed His Career in Massage Therapy

Augusto Queiroz first arrived in the UK, he wasn’t sure how to begin building a new life. He had experience in massage from back home, but lacked the qualifications needed to enter the wellbeing industry here. He was working long hours as a waiter when a conversation with his mother changed everything.

“She encouraged me to study at City Lit,” Augusto recalls. “She said the reputation, the high skills, the student support, it was the best place to start again.”
What began as hesitant encouragement soon became a complete turning point in his life.

Watch Augusto talk about his experience in our video

Augusto joined the ITEC Level 3 Diploma in Massage course at City Lit, hoping simply to gain the qualification he needed. What he found was far more.

“The difference at City Lit was the human connection. I didn’t find a sales place, I found professionals who really cared about us. The tutors believe in you.”

As someone whose first language isn’t English, Augusto appreciated the patience, understanding and consistent support from his tutors.

“They help you all the time. They stay beside you. They don’t just tell you to do homework, they guide you. That made a huge difference for me.”

Augusto expected to learn anatomy, physiology and massage technique, and he did. But what surprised him most was what exists beyond the technical skills.

“I learned empathy. I learned mental health awareness. I learned that before muscles, we have human beings.”

For Augusto, massage is not simply physical therapy, it is emotional connection, therapeutic presence, and understanding the deeper reasons behind people’s pain.

“So many clients think the problem is their muscles. But often the root is stress, family issues, work issues. When you understand that, the massage becomes real therapy.”

Before Augusto even received his final iTec certificate, he already had his first professional opportunity. Thanks to a referral from his City Lit tutors, he began working in a spa, and soon after, he was invited to volunteer at the NHS.

He joined Whipps Cross Hospital, providing massage to oncology and end-of-life patients at the Margaret Centre.

“It was the hardest challenge of my life. To provide massage to people close to the end… it changes you. You learn so much.”

Augusto then completed his CPD in Oncology Massage, continued volunteering, and later joined UCLH, offering relaxing and hot stone massage to NHS staff.

This year, he and his team received the UCLH NHS Excellence Award 2025.

“It changed my life. People look at me differently now, as a professional. It helped me grow and find more clients. I am so proud.”

Augusto’s ambitions don’t stop here. He plans to start his own wellbeing business focused not just on massage, but on mental wellness and human connection.
“People live inside their phones now. They don’t talk to each other. I want to create a space where people receive high-quality massage, but also reconnect, with themselves and others.”

He also hopes to return to university to continue his osteopathy studies.
“I paused my degree because of finance issues. But I will go back. Definitely.”

Looking back, Augusto remembers where his journey began: a waiter in Brazil, hoping for a better life. He tells a story of a restaurant customer who once praised his service so highly they offered him a manager job, an experience that later led to disappointment and being fired.

“But every time something hard happens, I say: another day, another challenge. Let’s try again.”

That resilience, paired with the support he found at City Lit, allowed him to rebuild his career from the ground up.
“I don’t have enough words to be grateful to City Lit and the NHS. They gave me the opportunity to grow. They changed my life.”

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Do you see yourself becoming an massage therapist just as Augusto did? Enrol in an advanced massage course today.