In The Flesh of the Soul, Gustl Marlock and Halko Weiss’s article, “In Search of the Embodied Self”, focuses on the need for a theory of self and self-development in body psychotherapy. In this paper, after a review of some major themes in self-development theory, I formulate a definition of a primary self - the endo-psychic self – that comes into existence simultaneously with the physical existence of the organism. I then describe some of the basic functions and characteristics of the endo-psychic self and argue that the endopsychic self is where early development begins and we must contact this primary self directly for therapy to be effective.

Key words: Self theory, Self development, Instroke, Return to the Self, Endo-psychic self,
Reich, Self organizing, Self Relations Theory, Self to Self, Hans Leowald