Surprise! You need help

In S2 of Arrested Development, the family plans an intervention but end up drunk themselves. Ideally, seek advice from a counsellor before attempting to sit down with someone.

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It's not an ambush. It's not an ultimatum. An intervention, for those who've never had one (or watched the TV show of the same name, airing since 2005), is typically a planned meeting to address one person's problem. Families do it if a member shows signs of substance abuse or an eating disorder.

Schools call in parents to intervene in cases of a student's problematic behaviour. Colleagues get together to overthrow capitalism (Just kidding; it's usually to bitch about the boss).

IRL interventions needn't be as dramatic as the ones on TV. No suspenseful music or montage of concerned folks. But for a loved one in need of a wake-up call, it's a useful tool, says clinical psychologist Poojashivam Jaitly. Here's how to stage one with all the love and none of the drama.