A system for assessing the proximity of an electrode to a tissue in a body, comprising: a tissue sensing circuit comprising a tissue sensing signal source for generating an AC excitation signal to develop a corresponding AC response voltage signal that is dependent on the complex impedance of the tissue, and a complex impedance sensor for sensing the AC response voltage signal for resolving the complex impedance into its component parts; an electronic control unit configured to (i) acquire one or more values for first and second components of the complex impedance from signals generated by the sensor of the tissue sensing circuit, the complex impedance comprising one of either (i) a magnitude and phase angle or (ii) a resistance and reactance between said electrode and said tissue and to calculate a single electrical coupling index by combining values of the first and second components; and (ii) evaluate said coupling index for determining whether the electrode is in non-contact and within a predetermined distance from the tissue or further away from the tissue than the predetermined distance, by defining an ECI range that correlates to the predetermined distance from the tissue, wherein the ECI range has a first threshold value that corresponds to a contact of the electrode and tissue, and a second threshold value that corresponds to the predetermined distance from the tissue, and by comparing the calculated coupling index to the defined ECI range. a tissue sensing circuit comprising a tissue sensing signal source for generating an AC excitation signal to develop a corresponding AC response voltage signal that is dependent on the complex impedance of the tissue, and a complex impedance sensor for sensing the AC response voltage signal for resolving the complex impedance into its component parts; an electronic control unit configured to (i) acquire one or more values for first and second components of the complex impedance from signals generated by the sensor of the tissue sensing circuit, the complex impedance comprising one of either (i) a magnitude and phase angle or (ii) a resistance and reactance between said electrode and said tissue and to calculate a single electrical coupling index by combining values of the first and second components; and (ii) evaluate said coupling index for determining whether the electrode is in non-contact and within a predetermined distance from the tissue or further away from the tissue than the predetermined distance, by defining an ECI range that correlates to the predetermined distance from the tissue, wherein the ECI range has a first threshold value that corresponds to a contact of the electrode and tissue, and a second threshold value that corresponds to the predetermined distance from the tissue, and by comparing the calculated coupling index to the defined ECI range. (i) acquire one or more values for first and second components of the complex impedance from signals generated by the sensor of the tissue sensing circuit, the complex impedance comprising one of either (i) a magnitude and phase angle or (ii) a resistance and reactance between said electrode and said tissue and to calculate a single electrical coupling index by combining values of the first and second components; and (ii) evaluate said coupling index for determining whether the electrode is in non-contact and within a predetermined distance from the tissue or further away from the tissue than the predetermined distance, by defining an ECI range that correlates to the predetermined distance from the tissue, wherein the ECI range has a first threshold value that corresponds to a contact of the electrode and tissue, and a second threshold value that corresponds to the predetermined distance from the tissue, and by comparing the calculated coupling index to the defined ECI range.