Burnout is a common experience among professionals working in the public health sector that can negatively impact their personal and professional life (Lu et al., 2020; Salyers et al., 2015; Stone et al., 2021; Zarei et al., 2019). Mental health workers are particularly vulnerable to experiencing burnout due to the demands of high needs clients and the lack of resources (Fischer et al., 2007; Kumar et al., 2011). Although burnout has been widely studied internationally, there are very few studies in New Zealand that have investigated burnout among psychologists. Additionally, the burnout literature has predominantly focused on quantitative reporting of prevalence, with limited qualitative studies hearing from psychologists’ personal experiences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences, implications, and preventative solutions of burnout among psychologists in New Zealand. I recruited 14 registered psychologists working in the public sector to complete one semi-structured interview about the causes, consequences, and protective ways of coping with burnout. I analysed the data using thematic analysis, results showed that systematic issues were the most common cause for burnout in particular high workload and understaffing. Burnout had serious implications for professional’s personal well-being, their professional identity, and their engagement with clients. Social connection and self-care were strong protective factors against burnout; in particular seeking support from managers, supervisors, and colleagues. This research brings attention to systematic issues within the public sector that contribute to burnout and highlights a need for increased awareness and normalisation of burnout within workplaces.