Is the avocado tree indoors year round or it goes outside when it's warm?
When people want to make a tree bushier, pinching off the tender tip will promote the buds below to grow into side shoots. However, cutting a big section of stem off is very costly to a young tree. Indoor tree receives less light, thus it has less
energy to regrow. It seems except for the 1st or 2nd time, the tree only regrew one shoot after each pruning, possibly on the sunniest side. So it fails to branch out but keeps leaning towards light source over time. The leaves are showing nutrient deficiencies: too few leaves, clustered, light green in color and deformed. The tip is probably stunted too, no top view to see the younger leaves here. If you cut it again, it may die.
If it were my tree, I would give it small amount of complete fertilizer to carry through the winter first. In spring, repot and move outdoors to regain some growth. If the tree puts out lots of leaves and the lower trunk becomes thicker, it will be safe to lower the height.