Tamarisk Tree Pruning (woody)

Hello fine gardeners. I have a wonderful Tamarisk tree in my garden that I inherited and it flowers amazingly each spring. However, I think it might be getting a bit woody with long branches after a few years where I haven't pruned it too hard back. It's also leaning to one side a bit more than it used to and getting bigger and bigger each year.

I like the shade it provides in the summer but I'm not sure exactly how to go about making it a bit more shapely and making sure the branches don't become too long and heavy for the trunk.

I heard you can prune it very hard back but I'm still not exactly sure what that means and whether it would sprout new stems if I were to cut some of the bigger branches? I guess my overall aim is to make it a little smaller and more compact with less woodyness in the middle.

Some photos below.

Thank you!