The first thing that "generic" voice teachers and voice coaches try to do is to teach the aspiring singer how to sing in an easy and relaxed manner—in a way that will allow them to sing without developing vocal problems: relaxing the throat and breathing in a natural manner that will allow them to support the voice and sing without strain.
I've written enough on other threads about this sort of thing that I feel like I'm written out on the subject (try the search box for "voice lessons" and such—lots there), so I'll just point out that trying to learn to sing merely by imitating singers you like can be fairly "iffy." You can also learn someone else's vocal problems be imitation.
A voice teacher, even a classical voice teacher, can't make you sound like an opera singer. All they can do is help you bring out the best that's there—and sing in a manner that won't eventually screw up your voice. Once you know how to sing easily and without tension or strain, then you can listen to the singers you admire and imitate their style of singing. Their style. But not necessarily whatever vocal technique they may be using. Those are two different things.
Pete Seeger always sang with a noticeable bit of tightness in his voice. And he lost his voice some years ago. The two facts are connected.