For me Spoonmaking is a complex combination: For one part it is the completeness of making a simple product, from the respectful slaughter of a 10 yr old birch on to finishing by soaking in linseedoil-
It has ritual aspects: Making something which is fit for daily use, something "humble", over and over many times perfecting the methods and forms, over the same phases.
It always gives me doubts about my own capabilities, it is always a struggle.
The proces isn't too long, and over the years gets even shorter.
Finishing a spoon gives special pleasure, especialy after oiling and seeing what you've got.
The "horizon" shifts: Over and over I see more and more what it's about: I could do this for many years, on and on.
It certainly has therapeutic aspects, but "therapy" is a process that has some mental problem as a subject- With spooncarving it's different: It's just what it is and puts the mind straight along the way. Like you say, seeking focus and peace, following an unknown path- (sounds more like meditation than therapy to me..)
For me it is also important that this struggle always must have been like this for our ancestors, too: It's a way to plug into "continuity"-