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In recent years, violent extremism has brought religion to the forefront of social work practice, challenging professionals to engage with religious clients, particularly Islamic clients, more profoundly. This article explores how practitioners who work to prevent violent extremism and radicalization conceive of and work with religious radicalization. Twenty interviews are analyzed thematically. By drawing on George Lindbeck, this article argues that counter-radicalization practice draws its conceptualization of religion from secular traditions that reduces religion either to truth claims, or to expressions of authentic and personal faith. With emphasis on doctrines qua truth claims and inner beliefs, social workers risk taking on the role of disproving extremist interpretations. Against this view, an alternative perspective is proposed that reconceptualizes religion-like language, an approach that offers a more nuanced understanding of religion. By moving beyond a secularist conceptualization of religion, social work practice can engage more openly and profoundly with religious groups. Such an approach encourages curiosity and critical discussion rather than reprimands.