Breathing exercises and singing for voice "problems"

I have changed teachers because of voice problems. My new teacher thinks that I "push" so much when singing that I should only do breathing exercises for 6-8 weeks and not sing. Now I'm a bit frustrated, of course, because I'm losing almost an entire semester. In your opinion, is this the only way to rebuild my voice?
Can a voice recover completely from too much tension and if so, how much time does that take and how much do the breathing exercises help me?

Thank you for your trust. From a distance, I can only answer your questions in a generalised way.
For me, a clear distinction must be made between "breathing" and singing "breath management". For me, "support, appoggio, anchor" are always connected with tone production and should therefore also be "practised" with sound.
From this point of view, it makes little sense for me to do "only" breathing exercises for a longer period of time and not to connect them with singing.
It makes sense for me to "also" put the breath in connection with the body - this is also independent of sound. If done regularly, this can very well lead to better body awareness, coordination and regeneration, and can have a supportive effect on singing. I am thinking here, without judgement, of yoga, Tai Chi, the Franklin Method® or various breathing schools.
We singers have our instrument in our own body. We can best "find out" what "works". I.e. only through our own concentrated, purposeful practice will we optimise our singing.
My teacher Angelo Loforese asked his teacher how he could find out when "it" was right. The answer was, "Learn not to get tired while singing." Of course there were exercises, tips and feedback from this teacher.
The crucial point is that every singer has to find his or her own way. Perhaps someone is needed to "look at it" from the outside. A professional who can not only name the corresponding "problems" but also knows ways to solve them. And only the singer himself feels quite quickly whether the "offer" is purposeful.
We singers are confronted again and again with habits we have grown fond of, which then no longer seem to work. We have to accept that. Now we can bury our heads in the sand and hope that it will soon be over and the "problem" will somehow solve itself. Or we can try to solve the "problem" by asking questions or seeking help. And once again: only we singers ourselves feel first whether we are getting closer to a solution.
In the case of wrong movement patterns, this can take some time. When we sing, we also have acoustic feedback: is the sound improving? And does my singing become easier? Do I get tired less quickly? It is also important to be honest with yourself. Depending on your constitution, you may be able to absorb or endure a lot of tension for quite a while.
If you have "voice problems", I would always consult a professional. After the phoniatric assessment, this could be a speech therapist, respiratory therapist or an appropriately trained singing teacher. When it comes to professional standards for a major voice student or professional singer, one should not be afraid to seek professional help. Our singing instrument must function so that we can use it in a healthy way to earn a living for a long time.